Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “laughen” come from?

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

laughen (Middle English): To laugh; to break out in laughter or laughing;...

Definitions

  1. To laugh; to break out in laughter or laughing;...

Ancestry of “laughen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishhlæhhan—
2Proto-West Germanichlahhjanto laugh
3Proto-Germanichlahjanąto laugh
4Proto-Indo-Europeanklek-to laugh, cackle

Words derived from “laughen”

  • laugh
  • laughing
  • laughingly
  • laughable
  • laughingstock
  • laughably
  • laugher
  • laugheth
  • laughest
  • horselaugh
  • laughy
  • laughless
  • laughableness
  • laughingthrush
  • unlaughing
  • laughability
  • unlaughable
  • laughsome
  • laughfest
  • laughful
  • outlaugh
  • laughaholic
  • unlaugh
  • laughathon
Every word from Proto-Indo-European klek- →