Where does “fleetingly” come from?
Fleetingly derives from English fleeting, from Old English -līċ, from Proto-Germanic -līkaz, from Proto-Indo-European plewd-, plew-, plāk-, and ultimately pelh₂-.
fleetingly (English): in a fleeting manner; transiently
Definitions
- in a fleeting manner; transiently
Ancestry of “fleetingly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | fleeting | Passing quickly; of short duration; present... |
| 2 | Middle English | fleten | To go or change position; to experience movement;... |
| 3 | Old English | flēotan | float; to float, swim |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | fleutan | to float; to stream |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | fleutaną | to float, stream |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | plewd- | to fly, flow, run |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | plew- | to fly, flow, run |