laugh
To make spontaneous sounds and movements of the face and body expressing amusement.
Etymology
From Old English hlæhhan/hliehhan (to laugh), from Proto-Germanic *hlahjaną, from PIE *kleh₁k- or *kleg- (to cry out, to sound). The initial hl- cluster in Old English (lost by Middle English) reflects an older consonant pattern. Greek klōssein (to cluck) and Old Irish ro·laich (laughed) may be cognates, though the precise PIE reconstruction is debated.
The Journey: *kleh₁k- → laugh
*kleh₁k- (uncertain)
*hlahjaną
hlæhhan
laugh
Cognates Across Languages
These words in other languages descend from the same PIE root *kleh₁k-. They are not borrowings but independent inheritances from a common ancestor.
| Language | Word |
|---|---|
| Dutch | lachen — to laugh |
| German | lachen — to laugh |
| Gothic | hlahjan — to laugh |
| Old Norse | hlæja — to laugh |
Did You Know?
The -gh in laugh once represented a guttural sound (like Scottish loch). This same sound appears in cough, tough, and through — all relics of Old English pronunciation that modern spelling preserves but modern speech has abandoned.