Chortle
/ˈtʃɔːr.təl/noun
To laugh or chuckle quietly with pleasure or amusement.
Did you know?Lewis Carroll introduced “chortle” in his 1871 poem “Jabberwocky,” making it a famous example of a portmanteau word: one word fused from two others.
Etymological Timeline
1871
English
chortle
“A newly coined blend appearing in Lewis Carroll’s poem “Jabberwocky””
1871
English
chuckle + snort
“The two source words and sounds generally understood to form the blend”
Late 19th Century
English
chortle
“To laugh quietly or gleefully; the word begins spreading beyond Carroll’s poem”
20th Century
English
chortle
“An established verb and noun for a pleased, partly suppressed laugh”
Modern English
English
chortle
“To laugh softly with amusement or satisfaction”
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