[Lexicog] words for different kinds of laughter

[Fritz Goerling]

True, Donald, but I am interested in "Who does what, when, under which
circumstances?

Agent (individual or group; gender), patient (absence or presence),
differences in rank (social situation)?"

I am also interested in cross-cultural "false friends."

Therefore I asked a group of Anglophones (Irish, English, American) to act
out different kinds of laughing, and also who would laugh like that in what
circumstances or contexts. That was funny in itself.

"to giggle", they all said, would happen in a group of young girls (German
"kichern" is the exact equivalent)

"to cackle" (a kind of mischievous laughter) could be associated with a
witch. That is not the case with German "gackern" (or French "caqueter")
which is said of hens. "To guffaw" (a loud roaring laughter) seems to be
said of a group of men; in German it would have to be paraphrased, maybe
depending upon context by "wiehernd lachen" ("wiehern" is the sound "horses"
make).

"glucksen" in German ("glousser" in French), associated with "hens,"
obviously is not the equivalent of "to chuckle." The latter has been called
"the most human kind of laughter."

"Ho ho" (Santa Claus kind of laugh), "Ha ha," ("Ha ha, I got you" or said
sarcastically when a joke did not seem funny) reproduce different kinds of
laughter.

 

"Laughter is the best medicine" (free translation from "Proverbs" in the
Bible),

 

Fritz Goerling

 

Donald Pepper wrote:

 

laughter is a form of expression when no words are available.

 

 


Fritz Goerling <Fritz_Goerling at sil.org> wrote:

 

I am interested in how different kinds of laughter are expressed in
different languages and what principles (of word formation, onomatopoeia,
etc.) are followed in building these words.! 

Some examples from English and German:

 

English                                German

 

to chuckle                            glucksen (not an exact equivalent)

to giggle                               kichern

to cackle                              gackern

to snicker/snigger              ?

to titter                                  one would have to describe it by
a paraphrase or show it

 

What elements enter into play as differentiating factors? Who does what,
when, under which circumstances?

Agent (individual or group; gender), patient (absence or presence),
differences in rank (social situation)?

 

 

Fritz Goerling

 

 

  

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