Middle English Dictionary Entry
laughter n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | laughter n.(1) Also laghter, lagthere, la(u)ghtre, la(u)ȝter, la(u)hter, (errors) flaghter, lahuter & (SW or SMidland) leiȝter, leihter, le(i)htre & (early SW) lihtre. Pl. laughtres, lauȝtres, la(u)htres, leihtres, (error) hleitres & (early SW) lahtren, leihtren, leahtren. |
| Etymology | OE; cp. WS hleahtor, later hlehter & ?A *hlæhter. Phonology shows influence of laughen v. Forms in -au- appear in late 14th cent. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Laughter, laughing; the expression of amusement or pleasure; mirth, merriment; joy, pleasure; bresten on ~, to burst out laughing; bringen o ~, amuse (sb.), make (sb.) laugh; criing of (in) ~, excessive laughter; maken ~, cause laughter, provide amusement (for sb.); laughen (a) ~ [see laughen 2. (b)]; (b) a laugh, smile; outburst of laughter; drauen out (henten up, taken, yeven) a ~, fongen a ~ up, to laugh, burst out laughing; (c) joke, jest; laughing matter, object of ridicule; ben to ~, to be a butt for ridicule, be an object of derision; no ~, no laughing matter; (d) joc. ~ of hostileres, a group of innkeepers; (e) ~ mild, moderate in laughter.
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)549/15 : Risus: leihter.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)3045 : Þa answarede Cordoille..mid gomene & mid lehtre [Otho: lihtre] to hire fader leue.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)175 : He..ne stont neure on one stede, Ac sigeð eure..fro lehtre to wope, fro wele to wowe and..fro liue to deaðe.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)2294 : To arisen from ream to aa lestinde lahtre [L jocunditas].
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)81/27 : Godes þreatunge is wontreaðe & weane i licome & i sawle..þe were of þis þreatunge, as he wes, wel ifullet nere þer nan empti stude i þe heorte to underfon fleschliche lahtren [Nero: leihtren]: for þi he bed wealle of teares.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)102/20 : Loquacite..fedeð þis hwelp þe is of muche speche, ȝelpeð..liheð oðerhwile..fikeleð, stureð lahtre [Nero: leihtres].
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)106/26 : Ful wil to þet fulðe..hunti þrefter wið wohunge..oðer wið eni tollunge, wið gigge lahtre [Nero: gigge leihtre; Recl.: gydy lauȝtter], hore ehe.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)109/18 : Of þis meoster seruið þe unseli ontfule i þe deofles curt to bringen o lahtre [Nero: leihtre] hare ondfule lauerd.
- c1390 Treat.Mass (Vrn)320 : He barst on lauhtre, and loude louh.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.2685 : And with the wommen..With sobre chier among thei smyle, For laghtre was ther non on hyh.
- a1425 Christ.Belief (LoC 4)3/98 : Sarra sayd .. 'Risum mihi fecit deus,' þat is, 'Godd haues made lagthere to me.'
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.1466 : With pale smylyng & lauȝtre furious Gan rakyn oute þe..fire Of fretyng hate.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)26 : And some also..of Ribaudye, To make laughter in þe companye.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.1169 : He..made hire so to laughe at his folye, That she for laughter [vrr. laughtere, lauȝtere] wende for to dye.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.866 : The pleye, the laughter [vrr. laughtre, lauȝter], men was wont to fynde In hire, and ek hire joies everichone, Ben fled.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Job 8.21 : Til thi mouth be fillid with leiȝtir [WB(1): laȝhing], and thi lippis with hertli song.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)1451 : For now es mirthe, now es murnyng, Now es laghter, and now es gretyng.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)4741 : A laughter it is, weping ay [F ris plains de plors]; Reste, that traveyleth nyght and day.
- a1425 Ben.Rule(1) (Lnsd 378)14/32,37 : Þe prophete sais..'þe fool turnes hys þoght intil laȝter'..Sain benet..biddis þat ye sal mekely speke..wid-vten laȝter.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)575 : The laughter aros of gentil foules alle.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.1514 : Zorastres..began ful soone to be merie With sodeyn lauhtir at his natyuyte.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)8.1393 : That day was seyn gladnesse meynt with moone, With weepyng lauhtre, & al in o persone.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)9.1827 : Ther groweth also an herbe..Who tasteth therof lauhhyng he shal deie..Yiff it entre his mouth..He shal alyue for lauhtre nat abide.
- a1450(?1348) Rolle FLiving (Cmb Dd.5.64)98/51 : Synnes of þe mowthe..criyng of [vr. in] laghter, mowe makyng on any man.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)600 : My song ys turned to pleynynge, And al my laughtre to wepynge.
- c1450(c1400) Vices & V.(2) (Hnt HM 147)69/11 : Oure ioye is turned to sorwe, oure lauȝtres in-to wepynges.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)91/2 : With hur fayr speche..sho smate his harte..& sho made hym such cownttenans & flaghter þat it luste lenyd vnto hur ay mar & mare.
- c1425 Wycl.Antichr.(2) (Dub 245)p.cxxviii : Þei sitten in castels & townes wiþ mynstralcie & lauȝtur..wiþ gestours & japeres.
- c1450 Mirk IPP (Dc 103:Peacock)1213 : Laughter [Cld: Hast þou..I-made any mon dronke to be..for þow woldest borde haue, To se hym dronke and to raue]?
b
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)1225 : His lauedi Diana hine leofliche biheolde mid wnsume leahtren.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)101/15 : Ȝif ani..is spekende sotwordes ðe aræreð up hleitres, none wunienge ne haue he mid ðe.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)8089 : On þam be-heild þe kinges her; Moght noght an laghter [Göt: lahuter] for-ber.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1217 : & þus he bourded a-ȝayn with mony a blyþe laȝter.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.1528 : Fortune..With a fals lauhtre on folkis thouh she smyle, She froward euere.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)2673 : Lordes lenande lowe on lemande scheldes, With lowde laghttirs on lofte for lykynge of byrdez.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)3400 : The kyng took a laghtre, and wente his way.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)5054 : Diamede full depely drough out a laughter.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)2197 : Þan fangis him vp þe fell kyng a fuyll feyned laȝtir [Dub: laughter].
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5303 : Þan has þat hende him by þe hand & hent vp a laȝtir.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.OFools (LdMisc 683)42 : A fface vnstable, gasyng Est and South, With loude lauhtres entrith his language.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)432 : The firste laughter that I made was for that a woman hadde me taken by her engyn.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)434 : Now haue ye herde alle the laughtres, and wherefore thei were.
- a1500 Lamb.Mir.Virg.(Lamb 432)323/15 : And sone the childe, semyd to yelde up the goest, gaff a laghter, and..was made all hole.
c
- a1200(?OE) Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)149 : We sholden biwepen ure elch oðres sinne and wosiðes, and forlete lahtres, and idele songes.
- a1250 Wooing Lord (Tit D.18)283 : Þu..was reowðe to rihtwise, lahter to þe luðere..tu..was unwreste folk of world to hoker lahter.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)1690 : War aduoutre! it is no pleye or laghtre To don it.
- c1450(c1400) Vices & V.(2) (Hnt HM 147)61/6 : Menstreles, heraudes..þat tellen bourdes and lesynges and lauȝtres [Ayenb.: lheȝinges] to solase wiþ folke.
- a1500 *Chartier Treat.Hope (Rwl A.338)124/25 : Lorde God, what laughtir [vr. a laughtir] and iape war this and the losse of so many sowles had not fallen ther upon!
d
- a1450 Terms Assoc.(1) (Rwl D.328)604 : A laughtre of hosterers.
- a1475 in Hodgkin Proper Terms54 : A Lavȝttyr of hostelers.
- c1475 in Hodgkin Proper Terms53 : A Lawghtur of Ostylersse.
e
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)1070 : Es gude to man & childe For to ler at be laghter-myld, And of al cowntnanse myld & stil.