English
flamebait
From flame + -bait (manipulation to elicit a particular response).
Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- ‘to shimmer, gleam, shine’
Proto-Italic *flagmā
Latin flamma
Anglo-Norman flaumbe
Middle English flawme ‘a flame’
English flame
Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd- ‘to cleave, split, separate’
…
Proto-Germanic *bītaną ‘to bite’
Proto-Germanic *baitijaną ‘to make bite’
Old Norse beita ‘food, bait’
Middle English bayte ‘Bait or lure’
English bait
Today it means
noun Content in an online forum, such as a newsgroup, with the intent of provoking anger, resulting in flames and sometimes flame wars.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / flamebait