English
flutter
Flutter comes from Middle English floteren ‘to be held up or be supported by water’, from Old English floterian ‘to float about, flutter’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *plewd-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*plewd-‘to float, swim, fly’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fleutaną‘to float, stream’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*flutōną‘to float’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*flutrōnąreconstructedfrequentative of *flutōną
- Old Englishc. 450–1150floterian‘to float about, flutter’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500floteren‘to be held up or be supported by water’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1608–1609flutter
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*plewd-‘to float, swim, fly’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fleutaną‘to float, stream’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*flutōną‘to float’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*flutrōnąreconstructedfrequentative of *flutōną
- Old Englishc. 450–1150floterian‘to float about, flutter’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500floteren‘to be held up or be supported by water’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1608–1609flutter
Earliest quotation: c. 1608–1609, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Coriolanus: “If you haue vvrit your Annales true, 'tis there,…”
Formed from float + -er
Proto-Indo-European *plewd- ‘to float, swim, fly’
Proto-Germanic *flutōną ‘to float’
Proto-West Germanic *flotōn ‘to float’
Old English flotian ‘to float’
Middle English floten ‘to float’
English float
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *plewd- ‘to float, swim, fly’
through Proto-Germanic *fleutaną ‘to float, stream’
through Proto-Germanic *flutōną ‘to float’
Today it means
verb To flap or wave quickly but irregularly.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *plewd- / flutter