laugh: [OE] The word laugh is ultimately onomatopoeic, imitative of the sound of laughter. It goes back to Indo-European *klak-, *klōk-, which also produced Greek klóssein, a verb denoting the clucking of hens, and Latin clangere ‘sound’ (source of English clangor [16]). Its Germanic descendants were *khlakh-, *khlōkh-, from which come German and Dutch lachen, Swedish and Danish le, and English laugh. => clangor
late 14c., from Old English (Anglian) hlæhhan, earlier hlihhan, from Proto-Germanic *klakhjan (cognates: Old Norse hlæja, Danish le, Old Frisian hlakkia, Old Saxon hlahhian, Middle Dutch and Dutch lachen, Old High German hlahhan, German lachen, Gothic hlahjan), from PIE *kleg-, of imitative origin (compare Latin cachinnare "to laugh aloud," Sanskrit kakhati "laughs," Old Church Slavonic chochotati "laugh," Lithuanian klageti "to cackle," Greek kakhazein). Originally with a "hard" -gh- sound, as in Scottish loch; the spelling remained after the pronunciation shifted to "-f."
If I coveted nowe to avenge the injuries that you have done me, I myght laughe in my slyve. [John Daus, "Sleidanes Commentaries," 1560]
1680s, from laugh (v.). Meaning "a cause of laughter" is from 1895; ironic use (as in that's a laugh) attested from 1930. Laugh track "canned laughter on a TV program" is from 1961.
双语例句
1. For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?
我们活着是为了什么？不就是给邻居当笑柄，再反过来笑他们。
来自《傲慢与偏见》
2. Do not hesitate to laugh at anything you find amusing.
只要觉得好笑就尽管笑。
来自柯林斯例句
3. He was falsely jovial, with his booming, mirthless laugh.
他低声苦笑了几声，装出快乐的样子。
来自柯林斯例句
4. They laugh so hard they double up with laughter.
他们捧腹大笑，直不起身来。
来自柯林斯例句
5. The blunt comment made Richard laugh in spite of himself.
