English
aflame
Aflame comes from Old French flame, from Latin flamma ‘flame, fire’, and ultimately from Proto-Italic *flagmā.
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*flagmā‘flame’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEflamma‘flame, fire’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400flame
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400flaume
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500flawme‘a flame’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500a-flame
- Englishearliest quotation 1555aflame
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*flagmā‘flame’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEflamma‘flame, fire’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400flame
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400flaume
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500flawme‘a flame’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500a-flame
- Englishearliest quotation 1555aflame
Earliest quotation: 1555, The Martyrs: “[T]hat blessed martyr, St. Thomas of Canterbury [Thomas Becket],…”
The story
The adverb is derived from Late Middle English a-flame, from a- (prefix meaning ‘on’ forming adverbial phrases; or denoting being engaged in or occupied by an activity) + flame, flaume, flawme (‘flame’). Flame, flawme is derived from Anglo-Norman flaumbe, flaume, and Old French flame, flambe, from Latin flamma, probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (‘to blaze, burn (?); bright flame, fire (?)’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- ‘bright flame, fire’
ball, bowl, bell, bull, bold, bald, boil, bale, blush, blur, blizzard, bleach, blaze, bolster, budge, sabha, blemish, phlegm, phallus, bolero, blithe, bola, phlox, bleat, blain, 73 more
through Latin flamma ‘flame, fire’
Today it means
adv Often preceded by set: in or into flames; so as to be burned by fire.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Italic *flagmā / aflame