Laughable
/ˈlæf.ə.bəl/noun
Deserving ridicule or likely to provoke laughter.
Did you know?The verb behind laughable traces to Proto-Germanic forms probably shaped by the sound of laughter itself, making it an example of possible sound symbolism.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*klak- / *hlah-
“A proposed imitative root associated with sharp or repeated sounds, including laughter; the reconstruction is uncertain.”
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*hlahjaną
“To laugh; a Germanic verb likely connected with the sound of laughter.”
Old English
Old English
hlæhhan
“To laugh.”
Middle English
Middle English
laughen / laghen
“To laugh; spelling and pronunciation shifted during the development of English.”
16th Century
English
laughable
“Capable of provoking laughter or ridicule, formed from laugh plus the suffix -able.”
Modern English
English
laughable
“Ridiculous, absurd, or worthy of being laughed at.”