Etymology Map
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Laugh

3 stages from Proto-Germanic to English.

Today it means to make sounds expressing amusement

Where does the word "laugh" come from? It comes from Proto-Germanic hlahjaną, passing through Old English before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
hlahjaną
Proto-Germanic · ancient
"to laugh"
imitative of the sound of laughter
2
Stage 2 of 3
hlihhan
Old English · 700s-1000s
"to laugh"
its 'h' was a throat sound, which became 'f' in 'laugh' but vanished in 'bough' and 'though'
3
Stage 3 of 3
laugh
English · 1500s
"to laugh"
'laughing stock' dates from the 1530s
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Read the full story

Laugh’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: hlahjaną meant “to laugh.” Imitative of the sound of laughter. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as hlihhan. Its 'h' was a throat sound, which became 'f' in 'laugh' but vanished in 'bough' and 'though'. It reached English by 1500s as laugh. 'laughing stock' dates from the 1530s. Today, laugh means to make sounds expressing amusement.