laff

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English[edit]

Noun[edit]

laff (plural laffs)

  1. (chiefly humorous) Alternative spelling of laugh

Verb[edit]

laff (third-person singular simple present laffs, present participle laffing, simple past and past participle laffed)

  1. (chiefly humorous) Alternative spelling of laugh

German[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Low German laff, which is either inherited from Middle Low German *laf (seemingly not attested) or borrowed from Middle Dutch laf (early 15th century), all probably from Proto-Germanic *laba-, from Proto-Indo-European *leb- (to hang loosely).[1] Compare modern Dutch laf (cowardly).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /laf/
  • (file)

Adjective[edit]

laff (strong nominative masculine singular laffer, comparative laffer, superlative am laffsten)

  1. (regional, chiefly northern and central Germany) lethargic, weak, slack
    Synonyms: schlapp, lasch
  2. (regional, chiefly northern and central Germany) tasteless, insipid
    Synonym: fade

Declension[edit]

Related terms[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013) “laben”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 321