Where does “flattery” come from?
Flattery comes from Middle English flaterye, from Old French flaterie and flater, from Proto-Germanic flataz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots plāk-, pelh₂-, and pel-.
flattery (English): Excessive praise or approval, which is often...
Definitions
- Excessive praise or approval, which is often...
Ancestry of “flattery”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | flaterye | — |
| 2 | Old French | flaterie | — |
| 3 | Old French | flater | to flatter; to seduce with words |
| 4 | Frankish | flat | palm, flat of the hand; flat |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | flatą | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | plÁt- | — |
Words derived from “flattery”