chortle

WOTD – 5 April 2006    

English

Etymology

Coined by Lewis Carroll in his poem Jabberwocky, perhaps as a blend of chuckle and snort.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

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  Rhymes: -ɔː(r)təl

Noun

chortle (plural chortles)

1. A joyful, somewhat muffled laugh, rather like a snorting chuckle.

   He frequently interrupted himself with chortles while he told us his favorite joke.

Synonyms

• chuckle

Translations

joyful, somewhat muffled laugh

• Bulgarian: кикотене (bg) (kikotene) n
• Dutch: luidruchtig grinnikken, verkneukelen (nl) m
• Finnish: hörötys
• French: gloussement (fr) m

• German: glucksen (de), chortle (de)
• Italian: chortle (it)
• Norwegian: humring (no) c, klukklatter (no) m, snøfting (no) c
• Spanish: carcajada (es) f

Verb

chortle (third-person singular simple present chortles, present participle chortling, simple past and past participle chortled)

1. (intransitive) To laugh with a chortle or chortles.

   The old fellow chortled as he recalled his youthful adventures.

   • 1871 — Lewis Carroll, Jabberwocky

     'O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy.

Synonyms

• chuckle
• See also Wikisaurus:laugh

Translations

to laugh with a chortle or chortles

• Bulgarian: кикотя се (bg) (kikotja se)
• Finnish: höröttää (fi), hörähtää (fi) (momentane)
• French: glousser (fr)

• Icelandic: hneggja af hlátri (is), rýta af hlátri (is)
• Kannada: Kushiada Nage
• Norwegian: humre (no), klukkle (no), snøfte (no)