Where does “flow” come from?
flow (Middle English) comes from Old English flēag, from Proto-Germanic flaug, from Proto-Germanic fleuganą, from Proto-Indo-European plewk-, from Proto-Indo-European plew- — to fly, flow, run.
Ancestry of “flow”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | flēag | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | flaug | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | fleuganą | to fly |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | plewk- | to fly, flow, run; to splash, to flap with hands |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | plew- | to fly, flow, run |
Words derived from “flow”