צָחַק

tsâchaq

to laugh

a primitive root; to laugh outright (in merriment or scorn); by implication, to sport; laugh, mock, play, make sport.

צָחַק seka (Bemba)
Hebrew meaningto laugh
Bemba meaninglaugh
צָחַק kuseka (Chichewa)
Hebrew meaningto laugh
Chichewa meaninglaugh
צָחַק kuʃeka (Fipa)
Hebrew meaningTo laugh, to display laughter (either in joy or derision); to exhibit playful or mocking behavior; in extended senses, to jest, play, or engage in light-hearted amusement, or, negatively, to ridicule or mock someone.
Fipa meaningto laugh
Notesɬ or ʃ is a common reflex of original *s or *ts in Bantu; matches meaning.
צָחַק koseka (Ga)
Hebrew meaningTo laugh, to display laughter (either in joy or derision); to exhibit playful or mocking behavior; in extended senses, to jest, play, or engage in light-hearted amusement, or, negatively, to ridicule or mock someone.
Ga meaningto laugh
NotesCentral Bantu, prefix variation but stem is stable.
צָחַק okuseka (Herero)
Hebrew meaningto laugh
Herero meaninglaugh
צָחַק kuseka (Kamba)
Hebrew meaningTo laugh, to display laughter (either in joy or derision); to exhibit playful or mocking behavior; in extended senses, to jest, play, or engage in light-hearted amusement, or, negatively, to ridicule or mock someone.
Kamba meaningto laugh
NotesBasic, unmarked verb for 'to laugh', matching widespread 'seka' root.
צָחַק kuseka (Kaonde)
Hebrew meaningto laugh
Kaonde meaninglaugh
צָחַק Theka (Kikuyu)
Hebrew meaninglaugh
Kikuyu meaninglaugh
צָחַק kusêka (Kimbundu)
Hebrew meaningTo laugh, to display laughter (either in joy or derision); to exhibit playful or mocking behavior; in extended senses, to jest, play, or engage in light-hearted amusement, or, negatively, to ridicule or mock someone.
Kimbundu meaningto laugh, to mock, to ridicule
NotesFound in dictionaries and shares syllable structure.
צָחַק guseka (Kinyarwanda)
Hebrew meaningto laugh
Kinyarwanda meaninglaugh
צָחַק guseka (Kirundi)
Hebrew meaningto laugh
Kirundi meaninglaugh
צָחַק kuseka (Kongo)
Hebrew meaningto laugh
Kongo meaninglaugh
צָחַק kuseka (Lamba)
Hebrew meaningto laugh
Lamba meaninglaugh
צָחַק koseka (Lingala)
Hebrew meaningto laugh
Lingala meaninglaugh
צָחַק kuseka (Lozi)
Hebrew meaningto laugh
Lozi meaninglaugh
צָחַק seka (Luganda)
Hebrew meaningto laugh
Luganda meaningto laugh
צָחַק isaka (Luganda)
Hebrew meaningto laugh
Luganda meaningIsaac (name, related to laughter)
צָחַק kuseka (Luganda)
Hebrew meaningTo laugh, to display laughter (either in joy or derision); to exhibit playful or mocking behavior; in extended senses, to jest, play, or engage in light-hearted amusement, or, negatively, to ridicule or mock someone.
Luganda meaningto laugh
NotesCognate with the prevalent Bantu 'seka' root; also found alongside variant forms.
צָחַק okuseka (Luganda)
Hebrew meaningto laugh
Luganda meaninglaugh
צָחַק kuseka (Lunda)
Hebrew meaningTo laugh, to display laughter (either in joy or derision); to exhibit playful or mocking behavior; in extended senses, to jest, play, or engage in light-hearted amusement, or, negatively, to ridicule or mock someone.
Lunda meaningto laugh
NotesMatches the core Bantu root and semantic domain.
צָחַק Sega (Sepedi)
Hebrew meaninglaugh
Sepedi meaninglaugh
צָחַק asega (Sepedi)
Hebrew meaninglaughter
Sepedi meaninglaughter
NotesYou're 💯 % correct lm pedi guy who can collect, asega mean laughter Bana children eya meaning go on or go up
צָחַק sega (Sepedi)
Hebrew meaningto laugh
Sepedi meaninglaugh
צָחַק kuseka (Shona)
Hebrew meaningto laugh
Shona meaninglaugh
צָחַק tsheha (Sotho)
Hebrew meaningto laugh
Sotho meaninglaugh
צָחַק kuseka (Sukuma)
Hebrew meaningTo laugh, to display laughter (either in joy or derision); to exhibit playful or mocking behavior; in extended senses, to jest, play, or engage in light-hearted amusement, or, negatively, to ridicule or mock someone.
Sukuma meaningto laugh; to mock
NotesStandard verb for 'laugh', also covers playful/mock sense.
צָחַק cheka (Swahili)
Hebrew meaningto laugh
Swahili meaninglaugh
צָחַק Cheka (Swahili)
Hebrew meaninga primitive root; to laugh outright (in merriment or scorn); by implication, to sport; laugh, mock, play, make sport.
Swahili meaningto laugh
צָחַק kusheka (Tonga)
Hebrew meaningTo laugh, to display laughter (either in joy or derision); to exhibit playful or mocking behavior; in extended senses, to jest, play, or engage in light-hearted amusement, or, negatively, to ridicule or mock someone.
Tonga meaningto laugh
NotesLikely a dialectal realization; vowel shift typical in southern Central Bantu.
צָחַק kuseka (Tshiluba)
Hebrew meaningTo laugh, to display laughter (either in joy or derision); to exhibit playful or mocking behavior; in extended senses, to jest, play, or engage in light-hearted amusement, or, negatively, to ridicule or mock someone.
Tshiluba meaningto laugh
NotesWidely attested as main verb for 'to laugh'.
צָחַק tshega (Tswana)
Hebrew meaningto laugh
Tswana meaninglaugh
צָחַק kuseka (Tumbuka)
Hebrew meaningto laugh
Tumbuka meaninglaugh
צָחַק okuseka (Umbundu)
Hebrew meaningTo laugh, to display laughter (either in joy or derision); to exhibit playful or mocking behavior; in extended senses, to jest, play, or engage in light-hearted amusement, or, negatively, to ridicule or mock someone.
Umbundu meaningto laugh
NotesShared with southern Bantu languages and same spelling as Herero.
צָחַק hleka (Xhosa)
Hebrew meaningto laugh
Xhosa meaninglaugh
צָחַק Hleka (Xhosa)
Hebrew meaningto laugh
Xhosa meaninglaugh
צָחַק hleka (Zulu)
Hebrew meaningto laugh
Zulu meaninglaugh