*fleutan

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs the infinitive *fleutan for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *fleutaną (“to float, to stream”), which Kroonen cites by its stem *fleutan- and Orel as *fleutanan.^[2][3]

Morphology

A strong verb of class II.^[4][5]

Evidence

The verb is attested in Old English, Old Frisian, Old Saxon and Old High German.^[2][3] In Old Dutch, ONW has the past flot in the East Lower Rhenish–Westphalian horse and worm charm of 891–900, in a line that ONW renders "a fish floated over the water", and the present flutit in the Psalms of 901–1000.^[6] Old High German has the verb from the 8th century.^[5]

Meanings

1. to float, to stream^[2][1]

Old English also used the verb for "to swim", "to drift" and "to sail",^[7] Old Frisian for "to travel by water",^[8] and Old High German for "to flow forth" and "to spring".^[5]

Derivatives

• *fluti "stream, flow", which Wiktionary relates to the verb;^[9] Old Saxon has fluti (“flow, liquid”), glossing Latin liquor.^[10]
• Kroonen derives from the Proto-Germanic verb the nouns *fleuta- "stream", the source of Old English flēot (“estuary, sea; ship”), and *fluta- "floating", and the iterative verb *flut(t)ōn-, the source of Old English flotian.^[11][12]

Reflexes

• Old English: flēotan (“to flow, to swim, to drift, to sail”)^[7]
• Old Frisian: fliāta (“to flow, to travel by water”)^[8]
• Old Saxon: fliotan (“to flow”)^[13]
• Old Dutch: flietan (“to flow, to float”)^[6]
• Old High German: fliozan (“to flow, to stream forth, to swim”)^[5]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *fleutan
2. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 147
3. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 107
4. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. fliotan
5. ^ a b c d Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. fliozan
6. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. flietan
7. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. flēotan
8. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. fliāta
9. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *fluti
10. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. fluti
11. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 146
12. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 149
13. ^ Berr, Samuel (1971), An Etymological Glossary to the Old Saxon Heliand, Berne / Frankfurt: Herbert Lang, p. 131