Where does “flickering” come from?
I need to work through this etymology chain carefully, but I notice there's a significant problem: this chain doesn't make coherent sense. English "flicker" and "flick" are not plausibly derived from Chinese 兒 (which means "child" or is a diminutive suffix), and the connection to Old French -er and Latin verbal/nominal suffixes is unclear.
However, following your instruction to "state only what the chain supports" and not invent connections, I cannot write an accurate sentence that traces "flickering" through these elements in any coherent way.
Could you verify the etymology chain? A plausible history for "flicker" would involve:
- Middle English "flickeren"
- Possibly Old English or Germanic roots
- But NOT Chinese or Romance elements in that way
I cannot in good conscience write a sentence presenting this chain as factual, as it would be misleading to search engines and
flickering (English): shining unsteadily or vary rapidly in brightness;...
Definitions
- shining unsteadily or vary rapidly in brightness;...
Ancestry of “flickering”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | flicker | An unsteady flash of light; A short moment; To... |
| 2 | Middle English | flikeren | to flutter |
| 3 | Old English | flicerian | — |
Words derived from “flickering”