Where does “flitting” come from?
Flitting derives from Old English -ing (verbal noun suffix) attached to Old English flitan, which comes from Proto-Indo-European plew-, meaning to flow or move quickly.
flitting (English): present participle of flit; The motion of...
Definitions
- present participle of flit; The motion of...
Ancestry of “flitting”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | flit | A fluttering or darting movement; A particular,... |
| 2 | Middle English | flitten | — |
| 3 | Old Norse | flytja | to move |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | flutjaną | to move, flutter |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | plewd- | to fly, flow, run |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | plew- | to fly, flow, run |
Words derived from “flitting”