hleahtor

Old English

Alternative forms

• hlehtor

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *hlahtraz. Cognate with Old High German lahtar, Old Norse hlátr.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈxlæ͜ɑx.tor/, [ˈl̥æ͜ɑx.tor]

Noun

hleahtor m

1. laughter
   • 10th century, The Seafarer:

     Hwīlum ylfete song dyde iċ mē tō gomene, ganetes hlēoþor ond huilpan swēġ fore hleahtor wera, mǣw singende fore medodrince.

     Sometimes I made the swan song as a mirth to myself, the gannet’s speech and the hwilp’s noise instead of laugher of men, the singing seagull instead of a mead-drink.

2. a laugh

Declension

Strong a-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	hleahtor	hleahtras
accusative	hleahtor	hleahtras
genitive	hleahtres	hleahtra
dative	hleahtre	hleahtrum

Derived terms

• hleahtorbære
• hleahtorsmiþ

Descendants

• Middle English: laughter
  • English: laughter
  • Middle Scots: lauchter, lachter, lauchtir
    • Scots: lauchter