Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “fle” come from?

fle (Middle English) comes from Old English flēa, from Proto-West Germanic flauh, from Proto-Germanic flauhaz, from Proto-Indo-European plówkos, from Proto-Indo-European plúsis — flea.

fle (Middle English): flea

Definitions

  1. flea

Ancestry of “fle”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishflēa—
2Proto-West Germanicflauhflea
3Proto-Germanicflauhazflea
4Proto-Indo-Europeanplówkos—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanplúsisflea

Words derived from “fle”

  • flea
  • fleece
  • fleecy
  • fleabag
  • fleabane
  • fleabite
  • fleabitten
  • fleeciness
  • microfleece
  • fleecer
  • fleawort
  • fleecily
  • fleeceless
  • antiflea
  • sandflea
  • flealike
  • fleaborne
  • fleasome
  • fleabrain
  • deflea
  • fleecewear
  • fleeceable
  • beflea
  • Fleece
Every word from Proto-Indo-European plúsis →