English
fledge
Fledge comes from Middle English flegge ‘Able to fly’, from Proto-West Germanic *flugi ‘fledged, feathered’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *plewk- ‘to run, flow, be swift, flee, fly’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*plewk-‘to run, flow, be swift, flee, fly’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*flugjaz‘able to fly, fledged’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*flugi‘fledged, feathered’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150*flyċġe‘able to fly, fledged’reconstructed
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500flegge‘Able to fly’
- Englishearliest quotation 1667fledge
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*plewk-‘to run, flow, be swift, flee, fly’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*flugjaz‘able to fly, fledged’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*flugi‘fledged, feathered’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150*flyċġe‘able to fly, fledged’reconstructed
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500flegge‘Able to fly’
- Englishearliest quotation 1667fledge
Earliest quotation: 1667, John Milton, Book III: “his shoulders, fledge with wings”.
The story
From Middle English flegge, fligge, flygge, from Old English *flyċġe (‘able to fly, fledged’) (attested in *unflyċġe, unfligge (‘unfledged’)), from Proto-West Germanic *flugi, from Proto-Germanic *flugjaz (‘able to fly, fledged’), from Proto-Indo-European *plewk- (‘to run, flow, be swift, flee, fly’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *plewk- ‘to run, flow, be swift, flee, fly’
fly, flown, flew, flock, fowler, flee, fowl, floss, flay, fogle, 9 more
Today it means
verb To care for a young bird until it is capable of flight.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *plewk- / fledge