Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “flotter” come from?

flotter (French) comes from Middle French flotter, from Old French floter, from Frankish flotōn, from Proto-Germanic flutōną, from Proto-Indo-European plewd-, from Proto-Indo-European plew- — to fly, flow, run.

flotter (French): To float; to flutter, to wave; to mill about

Definitions

  1. To float; to flutter, to wave; to mill about

Ancestry of “flotter”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchflotterto float
2Old Frenchfloterto float
3Frankishflotōnto float, swim
4Proto-Germanicflutōnąto float; drift
5Proto-Indo-Europeanplewd-to fly, flow, run
6Proto-Indo-Europeanplew-to fly, flow, run

Words derived from “flotter”

  • flotar
  • flottare
  • flotta
  • flottation
  • flottage
  • flottant
  • flotteur
  • flottaison
  • flottement
  • flotar
  • flotant
Every word from Proto-Indo-European plew- →