Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “flēah” come from?

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

Ancestry of “flēah”, step by step

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

Words derived from “flēah”

  • 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 →