Yawk

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. A harsh, boisterous burst of laughter ; to laugh in a loud, crude and unrestrained way
2. A raucous, coarse outburst of laughing ; to guffaw noisily without any attempt at restraint
3. Loud, vulgar laughter that is hard to ignore ; to give vent to noisy, unpolished laughter

Etymology: "Yawk" is onomatopoeic: the word imitates the sound it names, the loud, raucous laugh or the harsh call. Its sound-shape does the work, and that is much of its story, since no older word stands behind it that can be traced further back. The term is used mainly in informal, somewhat mocking speech, where it suggests a laugh that is coarse, honking, or noisy enough to draw attention. Because the sound is the whole source of the meaning, the word is less a product of borrowing or inheritance than a direct echo of a human noise.

Synonyms: guffaw, roar, howl, laugh