English
fley
Fley comes from Old English flīeġan ‘to put to flight, disperse’, from Proto-Germanic *flaugijaną ‘to let fly, cause to fly’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *plew- ‘flow’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*plew-‘flow’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*plewk-‘to fly, flow, run’reconstructedenlargement of *plew-
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fleuganą‘to fly’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*flaugijaną‘to let fly, cause to fly’reconstructedcausative of *fleuganą
- Old Englishc. 450–1150flīeġan‘to put to flight, disperse’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fleyen
- Englishearliest quotation 1860fley
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*plew-‘flow’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*plewk-‘to fly, flow, run’reconstructedenlargement of *plew-
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fleuganą‘to fly’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*flaugijaną‘to let fly, cause to fly’reconstructedcausative of *fleuganą
- Old Englishc. 450–1150flīeġan‘to put to flight, disperse’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fleyen
- Englishearliest quotation 1860fley
Earliest quotation: 1860, James Phillips Kay, Scarsdale; or: “The Jack O'Lanthron was among the reeds again last…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *plew- ‘flow’
flow, pneumonia, plutonium, plough, plover, flue, plutocracy, 23 more
through Proto-Indo-European *plewk- ‘to fly, flow, run’
flock, fowler, flee, floss, fogle, 9 more
through Proto-Germanic *fleuganą ‘to fly’
flight, fly, flown, flew, fowl, 3 more
through Old English flīeġan ‘to put to flight, disperse’
Today it means
verb To frighten.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *plew- / fley