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
- Laughter; the production of laughs or snickers;...
Ancestry of “laughter”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | hleahtor | laughter; a laugh |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | *hlahtr | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | hlahtraz | laughter |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | hlahjaną | to laugh |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | klek- | to laugh, cackle |
Words derived from “laughter”