Where does “flatter” come from?
flatter (French) comes from Middle French flatter, from Old French flater, from Frankish flat, from Proto-Germanic flatą, from Proto-Indo-European plÁt-.
flatter (French): to flatter; to pet, to caress
Definitions
- to flatter; to pet, to caress
Ancestry of “flatter”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle French | flatter | to flatter |
| 2 | Old French | flater | to flatter; to seduce with words |
| 3 | Frankish | flat | palm, flat of the hand; flat |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | flatą | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | plÁt- | — |