Where does “Flying Dutchman” come from?

Flying Dutchman (English) comes from English Dutchman, from Middle English Ducheman, from Middle English Duch, from Middle Dutch duutsch, from Old Dutch thiudisc, from Proto-West Germanic þiudisk, from Proto-Germanic þiudiskaz, from Proto-Germanic þeudō — to swell; to crowd; to be strong.

Flying Dutchman (English): A ship similar to the Flying Dutchman; a ghost...

Definitions

  1. A ship similar to the Flying Dutchman; a ghost...

Ancestry of “Flying Dutchman”, step by step

Flying Dutchman traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Dutchman

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishDutchmanA Dutch man; a man from the Netherlands; A man of...
2Middle EnglishDuchemana Dutchman, a German
3Middle EnglishDuchGerman, Dutch; German, Low German, Dutch
4Middle Dutchduutsch
5Old Dutchthiudiscof the people, vernacular
6Proto-West Germanicþiudiskof the people, popular, vernacular
7Proto-Germanicþiudiskazof the people, popular; of the tribe
8Proto-Germanicþeudōpeople, tribe
9Proto-Indo-Europeantewtéh₂people, tribe
10Proto-Indo-Europeantewh₂-to swell; to crowd; to be strong

via English flying

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishflyingThat flies or can fly; Brief or hurried; Not...
2Middle Englishflyinge
Every word from Proto-Indo-European tewh₂-Every word from Proto-Indo-European tewtéh₂Every word from Proto-Germanic þeudō
Flying Dutchman — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer