Where does “flatteren” come from?
flatteren (Middle English) comes from Old English floterian, from Old English flotian, from Frankish flotōn, from Proto-Germanic flutōną, from Proto-Indo-European plewd-, from Proto-Indo-European plew- — to fly, flow, run.
Ancestry of “flatteren”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | floterian | — |
| 2 | Old English | flotian | to float |
| 3 | Frankish | flotōn | to float, swim |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | flutōną | to float; drift |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | plewd- | to fly, flow, run |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | plew- | to fly, flow, run |