flatr

Forms

flatr^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *flataz (“flat”).^[2][3][1] The adjective is shared with Old Saxon flat (“flat, shallow”) and Old High German flaz (“flat”), and in ablaut with Middle Low German vlōt (“flat”).^[2][4]

Outside Germanic it is compared with Ancient Greek πλατύς (platús, “flat”) and Lithuanian platùs (“broad, wide”).^[2] Kroonen explains the Germanic ⟨t⟩ as coming from an older geminate, while Orel calls the word an irregular continuant of Proto-Indo-European *plet(ə)- (“wide”).^[2][3] Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon and Torp put it with Latvian pladina (“flat cake”) under a root Proto-Indo-European *plā- (“flat”).^[5][4][6]

Related Old Norse words are flet, flǫtr and flyðra.^[7][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The word is first dated in the Norwegian Konungs skuggsjá, whose manuscript AM 243 bα fol is dated 1270–1280 by Menota and 1275 by ONP, where some ice is said to be sva flater “so flat” that it lies a long way out from the land, and wisdom walks um sletta dala oc flata vollu “over smooth dales and flat fields”.^[8][9]

Semantic evolution

From “flat, level” of land and things, the word came to be used of a person lying stretched out full length, as in falla flatr “to fall flat” and draga e-n flatan “to drag someone along the ground”.^[9][10] It also describes the broad side of a weapon or a ship turned towards something, as in bregða flǫtu sverði “to strike with the flat of the sword” and stýra á flatt skip “to steer at the broadside of a ship”, and, of a bow, “unstrung”.^[9][11] The neuter flatt came to mean “badly”, in fara flatt fyrir e-m “to come off worst against someone”.^[10][12] Flatr fiskr is the halibut.^[11]

The word continues as Icelandic flatur, Swedish flat and Danish flad.^[6] English flat was borrowed from it, first recorded about 1300 as “stretched out, prostrate”.^[13][6]

Timeline

• 1270–1280 – flater, flata in the Konungs skuggsjá manuscript AM 243 bα fol.^[8][9]
• 1275 – spiot kome flatt a “a spear strikes with the flat” in the Norwegian Gulaþing law.^[9]
• c. 1300 – the English word flat “prostrate”, from the Norse word.^[13]
• 1312 – kasta sér flǫtum niðr “to throw oneself flat” in Stjórn.^[9]

Meanings

Adjective

1. flat, level.^[9][10]
2. stretched out full length, prostrate.^[9][10]
3. (of a bow) unstrung.^[9][11]
4. (of a ship, weapon or shield) turning its broad side towards something.^[9][10]
5. (neuter flatt, as an adverb) badly, as in fara flatt “to fare ill”.^[10][12]

Word family

• flati
• jafnflatr

Descendants

• Icelandic flatur^[6]
• Faroese flatur^[6]
• Norwegian Nynorsk flat^[6]
• Swedish flat^[14]
• Danish flad^[6]
• Middle English flat, whence flat^[13][6]

Related words

• flet
• flǫtr
• flyðra

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 144
3. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 105
4. ^ a b Torp, Alf (1909), Wortschatz der germanischen Spracheinheit (Fick, Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der indogermanischen Sprachen, 4th ed., vol. 3), Göttingen, p. 251
5. ^ Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon (1989), Íslensk orðsifjabók, Reykjavík: Orðabók Háskólans, ordsifjabok.arnastofnun.is, p. s.v. flatur
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. 129
7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altnordisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary database copy), p. s.v. flatr
8. ^ a b Menota: Medieval Nordic Text Archive, menota.org (texts by shelfmark; CC BY-SA 4.0), p. AM 243 bα fol
9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Ordbog over det norrøne prosasprog / A Dictionary of Old Norse Prose, Copenhagen, onp.ku.dk (CC BY-SA 4.0), p. s.v. flatr
10. ^ a b c d e f Zoëga, Geir T. (1910), A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press, p. s.v. flatr
11. ^ a b c Fritzner, Johan (1886–1896), Ordbog over det gamle norske Sprog, 2nd ed., Kristiania, p. s.v. flatr
12. ^ a b Baetke, Walter (1965–1968), Wörterbuch zur altnordischen Prosaliteratur, Berlin (digital ed. Greifswald 2006), p. 144
13. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
14. ^ Hellquist, Elof (1922), Svensk etymologisk ordbok, Lund, p. s.v. flat