Titter
/ˈtɪtər/noun
To laugh in a nervous, restrained, or affected way; a light, repeated laugh.
Did you know?English had the related verb *titter* by the late 16th century, and its echo-like sound helped it feel like a tiny burst of suppressed laughter rather than a normal laugh.
Etymological Timeline
Late 16th Century
English
titter
“To laugh lightly, nervously, or in a suppressed way”
Middle English
English
titeren / titiren
“To laugh or chatter in a small, repeated way”
Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*titrōną / *titrjaną
“To tremble, quiver, or move with quick repeated motions”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dʰeydʰ- / *tī-
“To shake, tremble, or flutter”