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

  1. present participle of flit; The motion of...

Ancestry of “flitting”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishflitA fluttering or darting movement; A particular,...
2Middle Englishflitten
3Old Norseflytjato move
4Proto-Germanicflutjanąto move, flutter
5Proto-Indo-Europeanplewd-to fly, flow, run
6Proto-Indo-Europeanplew-to fly, flow, run

Words derived from “flitting

Every word from Proto-Indo-European plew-