Where does “flank” come from?

Flank comes from German Flanke, from French flanc, from Frankish hlanka, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kleng-.

flank (English): To attack the flank of; To defend the flank of;...

Definitions

  1. To attack the flank of; To defend the flank of;...

Ancestry of “flank”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishflanc—
2Old Englishflancflank
3Old Frenchflancside; flank
4Frankishhlanca—
5Proto-Germanichlankazflexible; bendsome; slim; slender; sleek
6Proto-Indo-Europeankleng-to turn, bend; to bend, turn, wind, twist

Words derived from “flank”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European kleng- →Every word from Proto-Germanic hlankaz →Every word from Frankish hlanca →