Etymology

float

F4L1O1A1T1

Today it means: To be supported by a fluid of greater density (than the object). Full definition →

Middle English floten ← Old English flotian ← Proto-West Germanic *flotōn
Ask AI about its historyChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

float · verb1

  1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*plewd-
  2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*flutōną“to float”
  3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*flotōn
  4. Old English · inherited fromflotian“to float”
  5. Middle English · inherited fromfloten
  6. English todayfloat

From Middle English floten, from Old English flotian (“to float”), from Proto-West Germanic *flotōn, from Proto-Germanic *flutōną (“to float”), from Proto-Indo-European *plewd-, *plew- (“to float, swim, fly”). Compare flow, fleet.

float · noun2

  1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*plewd-
  2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*flutô
  3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*flotō
  4. Old English · inherited fromflota“sailor, boat”
  5. Middle English · inherited fromflote
  6. English todayfloat

From Middle English flote, from Old English flota (“sailor, boat”), from Proto-West Germanic *flotō, from Proto-Germanic *flutô, from Proto-Indo-European *plewd-.

Words from the same roots

Proto-West Germanic*flotōn all →

fleet

Proto-Germanic*flutōną all →

fleetflutter

Proto-Indo-European*plewd- all →

leadfleetingflatterflit

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.