Etymology
1. O.E. (Anglian)
hlæhhan, earlier
hlihhan, from P.Gmc.
*klakhjanan (cf. O.N.
hlæja, Ger.
lachen, Goth.
hlahjan), from PIE
*klak-, of imitative origin (cf. L.
cachinare "to laugh aloud," Skt.
kakhati "laughs," O.C.S.
chochotati "laugh," Gk.
kakhazein).
"If I coveted nowe to avenge the injuries that you have done me, I myght laughe in my slyve." [John Daus, "Sleidanes Commentaries," 1560]
The noun is first attested 1690, from the verb. Meaning "a cause of laughter" is from 1895; ironic use (e.g.
that's a laugh) attested from 1930.
Laughter is O.E.
hleahtor, from P.Gmc.
*hlahtraz (cf. O.N.
hlatr, Ger.
Gelächter). Nitrous oxide has been called
laughing gas since 1842 (for its exhilarating effects).
Laugh track "canned laughter on a TV program" is from 1966.
2. Etymology tree
3. Proto-Indo-European *klek-
4. Proto-Germanic *hlahjaną
5. Proto-West Germanic *hlahhjan
6. Old English hliehhander.
7. Old English hlæhhan
8. Middle English laughen, laghen
9. English laugh
10. From Middle English laughen, laghen, from (Anglian) Old English hlæhhan, hlehhan, (West Saxon) hliehhan, from Proto-West Germanic *hlahhjan, from Proto-Germanic *hlahjaną.
11. Cognates
12. Germanic: Scots lauch (“to laugh”), Yola leeigh, leigh (“to laugh”), North Frisian laache, lachi, laake, loache, lååke (“to laugh”), Saterland Frisian laachje (“to laugh”), West Frisian laitsje (“to laugh”), Alemannic German lache (“to laugh”), Cimbrian lachan (“to laugh”), Dutch, German, and Low German lachen (“to laugh”), Luxembourgish laachen (“to laugh”), Yiddish לאַכן (lakhn, “to laugh”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish le (“to laugh”), Elfdalian läa (“to laugh”), Faroese læa (“to laugh”), Icelandic hlæja (“to laugh”), Norwegian Nynorsk le, læ, læja (“to laugh”), Crimean Gothic lachen (“to laugh”), Gothic 𐌷𐌻𐌰𐌷𐌾𐌰𐌽 (hlahjan, “to laugh”).
13. Indo-European: Breton kloc'h (“bell”), Irish clog (“bell; clock”), Manx and Scottish Gaelic clag (“bell”), Welsh cloch (“bell”), Russian клекота́ть (klekotátʹ), клокота́ть (klokotátʹ), клохта́ть (kloxtátʹ, “to cluck, cackle”). See: Middle English '
laughen', Proto-Germanic '
*hlahjaną', Scots '
lauch', Frisian, Northern 'laache', Frisian, Saterlandic 'laachje', Alemannic German '
lache', Cimbrian 'lachan', Luxembourgish '
laachen', Elfdalian '
läa', Faroese '
læa', Icelandic '
hlæja', Norwegian, nynorsk '
le', Irish '
clog', Russian '
клекота́ть'.
Verbs referencing "laugh"
Danish
le, Norwegian, nynorsk
le, Tok Pisin lap, Cimbrian lachan, Luxembourgish
laachen, Sranan
lafu.