Where does “laughingthrush” come from?

laughingthrush (English) comes from English laughing, from Middle English laughynge, from Middle English laughen, from Old English hlæhhan, from Proto-West Germanic hlahhjan, from Proto-Germanic hlahjaną, from Proto-Indo-European klek- — to laugh, cackle.

laughingthrush (English): Any of a number of species of tropical birds in...

Definitions

  1. Any of a number of species of tropical birds in...

Ancestry of “laughingthrush”, step by step

laughingthrush traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English laughing

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlaughingThe action of the verb to laugh; present...
2Middle EnglishlaughyngeLaughing; the making of laughs
3Middle EnglishlaughenTo laugh; to break out in laughter or laughing;...
4Old Englishhlæhhan
5Proto-West Germanichlahhjanto laugh
6Proto-Germanichlahjanąto laugh
7Proto-Indo-Europeanklek-to laugh, cackle

via English thrush

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishthrushAny of several species of songbirds of the family...
2Middle EnglishthruscheA thrush or its meat
3Old Englishþrysċethrush
4Proto-Germanicþruskijǭ
Every word from Proto-Indo-European klek-Every word from Proto-Germanic hlahjanąEvery word from Proto-West Germanic hlahhjan