*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of haha

From Middle English haha, ha ha, from Old English ha ha (interjection), ultimately onomatopoeic. Compare Old Frisian haha (interjection), Middle Low German hahā, hahahā (interjection), Middle High German hahā, haha (inte

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
intj

An onomatopoeic representation of laughter.

verb

To laugh.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English haha, ha ha, from Old English ha ha (interjection), ultimately onomatopoeic. Compare Old Frisian haha (interjection), Middle Low German hahā, hahahā (interjection), Middle High German hahā, haha (interjection), all expressions of joy or of laughter.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionhahaenm
  • Inherited-form mentionha haang
  • Cognate mentionhahaofs
  • Cognate mentionhahāgml
  • Cognate mentionhahāgmh
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "haha"
      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "ha ha",
        "pos": "interjection"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English ha ha (interjection)"
    },
    {
      "name": "onom",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "onomatopoeic"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ofs",
        "2": "haha",
        "pos": "interjection"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Frisian haha (interjection)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "gml",
        "2": "hahā"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle Low German hahā"
    },
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      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "gmh",
        "2": "hahā"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle High German hahā"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "haha",
      "haha#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "ha ha",
      "ha ha#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "ha ha",
      "ha ha#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "haha",
      "haha#Old_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "hahā",
      "haha#Middle_Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "hahahā",
      "hahaha#Middle_Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "hahā",
      "haha#Middle_High_German"
    ],
    [
      "haha",
      "haha#Middle_High_German"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
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  "lexical": [
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      ],
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        "To laugh."
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A type of boundary to a garden, pleasure-ground, or park, designed not to interrupt the view and to be invisible until closely approached.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from French haha. The French term attested 1686 in toponyms in New France (present-day Quebec); compare modern Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!. Usual etymology is that an expression of surprise – “ha ha” or “ah! ah!” is exclaimed on encountering such a boundary. In France this is traditionally attributed to the reaction of Louis, Grand Dauphin to encountering such a feature in the gardens of the Château de Meudon. The English term attested 1712, in translation by John James of French La theorie et la pratique du jardinage (1709) by Dezallier d'Argenville: Grills of iron are very necessary ornaments in the lines of walks, to extend the view, and to show the country to advantage. At present we frequently make thoroughviews, called Ah, Ah, which are openings in the walls, without grills, to the very level of the walks, with a large and deep ditch at the foot of them, lined on both sides to sustain the earth, and prevent the getting over; which surprises the eye upon coming near it, and makes one laugh, Ha! Ha! from where it takes its name. This sort of opening is haha, on some occasions, to be preferred, for that it does not at all interrupt the prospect, as the bars of a grill do.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Borrowed-form mentionhahafr
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
noun

A large leafy Hawaiian plant, Gunnera petaloidea.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from Hawaiian hāhā.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
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        "3": "haw:hāhā",
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      },
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    },
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      "hāhā",
      "hāhā#Hawaiian"
    ]
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for haha →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-aGFoYQ