English
flower
Flower comes from Middle English flour, from Anglo-Norman flur, from Latin flōs (accusative flōrem), from PIE *bʰleh₃- ‘to bloom’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰleh₃-‘to thrive, bloom’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*flōs‘flower’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEflōs‘flower’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400flur
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500flour‘a flower’
- Englishearliest quotation 1513flower
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰleh₃-‘to thrive, bloom’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*flōs‘flower’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEflōs‘flower’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400flur
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500flour‘a flower’
- Englishearliest quotation 1513flower
Earliest quotation: 1513, John Skelton, Agaynst the Scottes; republished in John Scattergood: “At Floddon hyllys, / Our bowys, our byllys /…”
The story
Partly displaced native Old English blostma (which is cognate), whence Modern English blossom.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₃- ‘to thrive, bloom’
full, blood, fool, blade, bless, blow, foil, bleed, bloom, blossom, folly, flora, folio, folic, belladonna, exfoliate, florid, florin, 53 more
through Proto-Italic *flōs ‘flower, blossom’
floral, flourish, florist, flor, 15 more
through Latin flōrem
Today it means
noun A colorful, conspicuous structure associated with angiosperms, frequently scented and attracting various insects, and which may or may not be used for sexual reproduction.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₃- / flower