English
agelast
Agelast comes from Ancient Greek ἀγέλαστος ‘not laughing’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *ǵelh₂-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵelh₂-‘to laugh’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEγελάωgeláō‘to laugh’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀγέλαστοςagélastos‘not laughing’
- Englishearliest quotation 2005agelast
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵelh₂-‘to laugh’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEγελάωgeláō‘to laugh’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀγέλαστοςagélastos‘not laughing’
- Englishearliest quotation 2005agelast
Earliest quotation: 2005, Arkady Kovelman, Koninklijke Brill: “As a real agelast in a comedy, he is…”
The story
Attributed to a French coinage by François Rabelais (ca.1483–1494—1553).
Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *ǵelh₂-
Today it means
noun One who never laughs (especially at jokes); a mirthless person.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵelh₂- / agelast