Page:An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language.djvu/111

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meaning, OSlov. plosku, ‘flat’; Lat. plânus scarcely represents *plagnus (see Flur); related to Gr. πλάξ (stem πλακ), ‘surface,’ Gr. πλακοῦς, Lat. placenta, ‘cake.’ But E. flat, OIc. flatr, OHG. flaȥ, ‘flat, level,’ have nothing to do with flach. A MidG. and LG. parallel form of flach is mentioned under Blachfeld.

Flachs, m., ‘flax,’ from the equiv. MidHG. vlahs, OHG. flahs, m.; comp. Du. vlas, AS. fleax, n., E. flax; a common West Teut. term, unknown to Scand. and Goth. Usually referred to the root fleh (or fleht) in flechten; s (Goth. *flahsa-) is probably a suffix.

flackern, vb., ‘to flare, flicker,’ from MidHG. vlackern, ‘to flicker,’ OHG. (once) flagarôn (for flaggarôn?), ‘to fly, flutter about’; akin to AS. flacor, ‘flying, fluttering,’ MidE. flakeren, ‘to fly, flutter about,’ MidDu. flackeren, Scand. flökra, vb., ‘to flutter,’ as well as the equiv. flökta. Comp. the cognate stems AS. flicorian, E. to flicker, Du. flikkern, ‘to glimmer, gleam’; this class, on account of the numerous words it comprised at an early period, cannot be derived from Lat. flagrare, nor even be connected with fliegen, to which OHG. flogarôn, flokrôn, ‘to flutter,’ and flogezen, MidHG. vlokzen, ‘to flutter, gleam,’ may be referred.

Fladen, m., ‘flat cake, cow dung,’ from MidHG. vlade, m., ‘broad, thin cake,’ OHG. flado, ‘offering-cake’; corresponds to Du. vlade vla, f., ‘pancake,’ MidE. flaþe (Goth. *flaþa). Pre-Teut. platan- or plathan- would have to be assumed, perhaps with the primit. sense, ‘surface, flat thing’; comp. Gr. πλατύς, ‘broad’; Gr. πλάθανον (θ for Aryan th), ‘cake-mould’; Sans. pṛthús, ‘broad’ (akin to Sans. pṛthivî, ‘earth,’ under Feld), práthas, n., ‘breadth,’ Lith. platùs, ‘broad.’ Allied to the graded forms plôth, Lat. Plôtus, Plautus, lit. ‘flatfooted,’ semiplôtia, ‘slipper,’ MidHG. vluoder, ‘flounder,’ lit. ‘flat fish.’ Remoter cognates of the whole class are OIc. flatr, OHG. flaȥ, ‘level, flat.’ From Fladen, which is probably West Teut. only, arc derived the early MidLat. flado, Ital. fiadone, ‘honeycomb,’ Fr. flan, ‘flat cake, custard’ (whence E. flawn, ‘a kind of custard’). Comp. for its meaning MidHG. breitinc, m., ‘a sort of biscuit,’ akin to breit.

Flagge, f., ‘flag, ensign, standard,’ borrowed, like most words with gg (see Dogge,

Bagger), from LG. and Du. in the ModHG. period; comp. Du. vlag, E. flag, Dan. flag, Swed. flagg. A modern Teut. word not recorded in the earlier periods. In which of the Teut. maritime tribes this and other nautical terms were first used we know not, for the earlier history eludes us. Since, however, AS. preserves the earliest forms of a number of nautical terms which are afterwards found in all the cognate languages (see Bord, Boot, Helm (2), Spriet, &c.), the silence of the AS. records — no term *flacge is found — may be accepted as a proof that Flagge is not native to England.

Flamberg, m., ‘broad-sword,’ simply ModHG. from Fr. flamberge, the origin of which is often referred to Ger., though no suitable type can be found.

Flamme, f., ‘flame, blaze, flash,’ from the equiv. MidHG. flamme, vlamme, f.; comp. OLG. flamma, Du. vlam, formed from Lat. flamma.

Flanke, f., ‘flank, side,’ simply ModHG., from Fr. flanc, which, with its Rom. cognate (Ital. fianco), is derived from OHG. hlanca, ‘side’ (see lenken). For Fr. fl, from Teut. hl, see flau.

Flasche, f., ‘bottle, flask,’ from the equiv. MidHG. vlasche, OHG. flasca, f. (MidHG. also vlesche with mutation); comp. Du. flesch, AS. flasce, f., E. flask, OIc. (found early) flaska, f., Goth. *flaskô, whence Finn. lasku. The word is recorded in Teut. at an early period, but on account of its correspondence with the Rom. words for ‘bottle,’ it may have been borrowed; comp. MidLat. flasco (occurs very early), Ital. fiasco, ModFr. flacon. Some etymologists derive MidLat. flasco from Lat. vasculum. An exhaustive history of these cognates has not yet been attempted.

flattern, vb., ‘to flutter, dangle,’ in MidHG. vladern from MidHG. vlëdern (see Fledermaus); MidDu. flatteren, E. to flatter, akin to flutter, also MidE. fliteren, E. to flitter; AS. floterian, MidE. floteren, ‘to undulate,’ are, however, certainly allied to the root flut, ‘to flow.’

flau, adj., ‘feeble, stagnant, insipid, dull,’ simply ModHG.; borrowed in the last century from LG. flau, Du. flauw, ‘languid, faint, indifferent,’ which, with E. flew, ‘soft, tender,’ are derived from Rom. Considering the late appearance of the cognates, and the area to which they are confined, it is certain that they originated