Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “prelaughter” come from?

prelaughter (English) comes from English laughter, from Middle English laughter, from Old English hleahtor, from Proto-West Germanic *hlahtr, from Proto-Germanic hlahtraz, from Proto-Germanic hlahjaną, from Proto-Indo-European klek- — to laugh, cackle.

prelaughter (English): Occurring before laughter

Definitions

  1. Occurring before laughter

Ancestry of “prelaughter”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlaughterThe sound of laughing, produced by air so...
2Middle EnglishlaughterLaughter; the production of laughs or snickers;...
3Old Englishhleahtorlaughter; a laugh
4Proto-West Germanic*hlahtr—
5Proto-Germanichlahtrazlaughter
6Proto-Germanichlahjanąto laugh
7Proto-Indo-Europeanklek-to laugh, cackle
Every word from Proto-Indo-European klek- →