Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “flood” come from?

Flood comes from Middle English flod, from Old English flōd, from Proto-Germanic flōduz, from Proto-Indo-European plōtus, derived from the root plew-.

flood (English): A overflow of water from a lake or other body of...

Definitions

  1. A overflow of water from a lake or other body of...

Ancestry of “flood”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishflodA waterbody or water in general; A flood; a...
2Old Englishflōdriver, flood
3Proto-West Germanicflōduriver; flood
4Proto-Germanicflōduzriver; flood
5Proto-Indo-Europeanplōw-to flow, swim; to pour, wash
6Proto-Indo-Europeanplew-to fly, flow, run

Words derived from “flood”

  • flooding
  • floodplain
  • floodwater
  • floodlight
  • floodway
  • floodlighting
  • floodwall
  • photoflood
  • floodable
  • postflood
  • preflood
  • overflood
  • floodlamp
  • flooder
  • floodlike
  • reflood
  • floodproof
  • floodmark
  • megaflood
  • nonflood
  • floodeth
  • landflood
  • inflood
  • antiflood
Every word from Proto-Indo-European plew- →