Where does “airflow” come from?

airflow (English) comes from English flow, from Middle English flowen, from Old English flōwan, from Proto-West Germanic *flōan, from Proto-Germanic flōaną, from Proto-Indo-European plōw-, from Proto-Indo-European plew- — to fly, flow, run.

airflow (English): Any flow of air, especially the motion of air...

Definitions

  1. Any flow of air, especially the motion of air...

Ancestry of “airflow”, step by step

airflow traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English flow

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishflowA movement in people or things with a particular...
2Middle EnglishflowenTo flow, stream, or issue; to move; To become...
3Old Englishflōwanto flow
4Proto-West Germanic*flōanto flow
5Proto-Germanicflōanąto flow
6Proto-Indo-Europeanplōw-to flow, swim; to pour, wash
7Proto-Indo-Europeanplew-to fly, flow, run

via English aïr

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishaïr—
2Middle Englishaireair
3Old Frenchairair mixture of gases that make up the earth's atmosphere
4Latināērair
5Ancient Greekἀήρmist; air; wind
6Ancient Greekauhḗr—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European plew- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European plōw- →Every word from Proto-Germanic flōaną →