Where does “fleet” come from?
Fleet comes from Middle English flete and Middle English flet, from Old English flēot, ultimately deriving from Proto-Indo-European roots plad-, plāk-, pelh₂-, and pel-.
fleet (English): A group of vessels or vehicles; Any group of...
Definitions
- A group of vessels or vehicles; Any group of...
Ancestry of “fleet”, step by step
fleet traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English flete
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | flete | A fleet; a collection or grouping of vessels; A... |
| 2 | Old English | flēot | ship; bay; fleet |
| 3 | Frankish | flotōn | to float, swim |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | flutōną | to float; drift |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | plewd- | to fly, flow, run |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | plew- | to fly, flow, run |
via Middle English flet
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | flet | the floor, ground; a dwelling, habitation, house,... |
| 2 | Old English | flet | the floor, ground; a dwelling, habitation, house,... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | flatją | a level surface; level ground; the floor of a... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | flataz | flat |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | plÁt- | — |