Etymology Explorer › English

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

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlaughingThe action of the verb to laugh; present...
2Middle Englishlaughynge—
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
Every word from Proto-Indo-European klek- →