Giggle
/ˈɡɪɡ.əl/noun
To laugh lightly or repeatedly in a silly, often nervous way.
Did you know?Giggle is an expressive, imitative word built from repeated sounds, and its history shows how English often turns raw noise into emotion before meaning even settles in.
Etymological Timeline
Early Modern English
English
giglen
“to laugh in a light, repeated, or silly way”
Middle English
English
giglen
“to laugh or titter repeatedly”
Old Norse
ON
gikla
“to chatter or twitter”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*gik-
“an imitative base expressing repeated light sounds or movement”
Modern English
English
giggle
“to laugh in a light, silly, or nervous way”