laff

English

Noun

laff (plural laffs)

  1. (chiefly humorous) Alternative spelling of laugh

Verb

laff (third-person singular simple present laffs, present participle laffing, simple past and past participle laffed)

  1. (chiefly humorous) Alternative spelling of laugh

German

Etymology

Borrowed from Low German laff, which is either inherited from Middle Low German *laf (seemingly not attested) or borrowed from Middle Dutch laf (early 15th century), all probably from Proto-Germanic *laba-, from Proto-Indo-European *leb- (to hang loosely).[1] Compare modern Dutch laf (cowardly).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /laf/
  • (file)

Adjective

laff (strong nominative masculine singular laffer, comparative laffer, superlative am laffsten)

  1. (regional, chiefly northern and central Germany) lethargic, weak, slack
    Synonyms: schlapp, lasch
  2. (regional, chiefly northern and central Germany) tasteless, insipid
    Synonym: fade

Declension

References

  1. Kroonen, Guus (2013) “laben”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 321
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