[Lexicog] words for different kinds of laughter

[Fritz Goerling]

Todah rabah, Hayim,

 

Fritz

 

 

Russian equivaents of words for laughter

 

Neutral verb:                       smeiat'sia  (to laugh)

Substantive (noun)             smekh        (laughter)

 

English                                Russian

 

to burst out laughing            razrazit'sia smekhom

 

to laugh hearily                     umirat' ot smecha (or so smechu)

                                               (lit. to die from laughter)

 

no English equivalent           zalivat'sya (or razlivat'sia) smechom

(the same as   razrazit'sia smekhom  but  with a hidden comparison to flood)

 

to chuckle                            davit'sia ot smekha

 

to cackle                              khikhikat' )

                                                                   NB. in
Russian it is the same

to snicker/snigger              khikhikat' )

 

to titter                            pokhokhatyvat' (for short time or with
intervals), also khikhikat' (without relation to time)

 

to guffaw                              rassmeiat'sya or smeiat'sia gromko,

                                             khokhotat'

 

the noun for chuckle/gigle is smeshok (diminutive noun from smekh
'laughter')

 

I think in Russian the only important elements are the agent and the degree
of laughter, as well as duration or intermittency. Only one from the verbs
(chochotat') used mostly to describe the laughter of young women, teenagers
and children, but not excluded from other agents.



Hayim Y. Sheynin

  

 

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