Etymology

flap

F4L1A1P3

Today it means: Anything broad and flexible that hangs loose, or that is attached by one side or end and is easily moved. Full definition →

Middle English flap
Ask AI about its historyChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

flap · noun1

  1. Middle English · inherited fromflap
  2. English todayflap

From Middle English flap, flappe (“a slap; blow; buffet; fly-flap; something flexible or loose; flap”), related to Saterland Frisian Flappert (“wing, flipper”), Middle Dutch flabbe (“a blow; slap on the face; fly-flap; flap”) (modern Dutch flap (“flap”)), Middle Low German flabbe, vlabbe, flebbe, from the verb (see below). Related also to English flab and flabby.

flap · verb2

  1. Middle English · inherited fromflappen“to flap, clap, slap, strike”
  2. English todayflap

From Middle English flappen (“to flap, clap, slap, strike”), related to Dutch flappen (“to flap”), German Low German flappen (“to flap”), German flappen (“to flap”), Dutch flabberen (“to flit, flap”). Probably ultimately imitative.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.