la-la · adjective, verb1
Sounds used to form meaningless song refrains. Of imitative origin. Compare Old English lā, a common exclamation, Greek λαλαγε (lalage, “babble”), German lallen (“to babble”). Compare also blah blah.
la-la · noun2
Unknown. Compare la, an interjection used to introduce a statement or express emotion.
la-la · noun3
- Hokkien · borrowed from啦啦
- English todayla-la
Words from the same roots
First known use, by meaning
- 19th century Of indifferent quality; so-so.
- Since the 20th century To sing or recite the syllable la repeatedly.
- Since the 20th century To sing (a song) with la replacing the song lyrics.
- Late 19th century Something unusually good; (occasionally) something unusually bad.
- Since the 1970s A woman's genitals, especially the vagina; a sexually permissive woman.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.