Where does “laughter” come from?

laughter (Middle English) comes 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.

laughter (Middle English): Laughter; the production of laughs or snickers;...

Definitions

  1. Laughter; the production of laughs or snickers;...

Ancestry of “laughter”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishhleahtorlaughter; a laugh
2Proto-West Germanic*hlahtrlaughter
3Proto-Germanichlahtrazlaughter
4Proto-Germanichlahjanąto laugh
5Proto-Indo-Europeanklek-to laugh, cackle

Words derived from “laughter

Every word from Proto-Indo-European klek-