Where does “laaf” come from?

laaf (Jamaican Creole) comes from English laugh, 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.

laaf (Jamaican Creole): to laugh, to ridicule

Definitions

  1. to laugh, to ridicule

Ancestry of “laaf”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlaughAn expression of mirth particular to the human...
2Middle EnglishlaughenTo laugh; to break out in laughter or laughing;...
3Old Englishhlæhhan—
4Proto-West Germanichlahhjanto laugh
5Proto-Germanichlahjanąto laugh
6Proto-Indo-Europeanklek-to laugh, cackle
Every word from Proto-Indo-European klek- →Every word from Proto-Germanic hlahjaną →Every word from Proto-West Germanic hlahhjan →