Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “Gelächter” come from?

Gelächter (German) comes from Middle High German gelehter, from Middle High German lahter, from Old High German lahtar, from Proto-Germanic hlahtraz, from Proto-Germanic hlahjaną, from Proto-Indo-European klek- — to laugh, cackle.

Gelächter (German): laughter, laughing; object of ridicule

Definitions

  1. laughter, laughing; object of ridicule

Ancestry of “Gelächter”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germangelehter—
2Middle High Germanlahter—
3Old High Germanlahtar—
4Proto-Germanichlahtrazlaughter
5Proto-Germanichlahjanąto laugh
6Proto-Indo-Europeanklek-to laugh, cackle
Every word from Proto-Indo-European klek- →