Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “flown” come from?

Flown comes from Middle English flien, Old English flȳġe, Proto-Germanic fleuganą, and Proto-Indo-European plew-, meaning to move through the air.

flown (English): past participle of fly; Suspended in the flies

Definitions

  1. past participle of fly; Suspended in the flies

Ancestry of “flown”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishflowenTo flow, stream, or issue; to move; To become...
2Old Englishflōwanto flow
3Proto-West Germanic*flōan—
4Proto-Germanicflōanąto flow
5Proto-Indo-Europeanplōw-to flow, swim; to pour, wash
6Proto-Indo-Europeanplew-to fly, flow, run

Words derived from “flown”

  • overflown
  • unflown
Every word from Proto-Indo-European plew- →