Where does “*hlahtr” come from?
*hlahtr (Proto-West Germanic) comes from Proto-Germanic hlahtraz, from Proto-Germanic hlahjaną, from Proto-Indo-European klek- — to laugh, cackle.
Ancestry of “*hlahtr”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Germanic | hlahtraz | laughter |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | hlahjaną | to laugh |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | klek- | to laugh, cackle |