Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “flame” come from?

Flame comes from Middle English flaume, from Old French flame, from Latin flamma, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰel- meaning to shine or burn.

flame (English): The visible part of fire; a stream of burning...

Definitions

  1. The visible part of fire; a stream of burning...

Ancestry of “flame”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishflawmeA flame; a visible tongue of gas and vapour...
2Middle EnglishflaumeAlternative form of flawme; Alternative form of...
3Old Frenchflamble—
4Latinflammula—
5Latinflammaflame, fire
6Latinflāgrāre—
7Latinfrāgrō—
8Proto-Italicfrāgrāō—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰreh₂gro-—
10Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰreh₂g-to smell

Words derived from “flame”

  • flames
  • flaming
  • aflame
  • flameproof
  • flameless
  • flamelet
  • flamelike
  • flameout
  • flamer
  • flamingly
  • candleflame
  • flamethrowing
  • flamelight
  • flameful
  • flamework
  • preflame
  • flamelessly
  • reflame
  • flamage
  • hearthflame
  • flamebait
  • flameproofer
  • flameage
  • antiflame
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰreh₂g- →