Etymology

flower

flow·er
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Today it means: A colorful, conspicuous structure associated with angiosperms, frequently scented and attracting various insects, and which may or may not be used for sexual reproduction. Full definition →

Middle English flour ← Anglo-Norman flur ← Latin flōrem
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flower · noun, verb1

  1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*bʰleh₃-“to thrive, bloom”
  2. Proto-Italic · derived from*flōs
  3. Latin · derived fromflōrem
  4. Anglo-Norman · derived fromflur
  5. Middle English · inherited fromflour
  6. English todayflower

From Middle English flour, from Anglo-Norman flur, from Latin flōrem, accusative of flōs, from Proto-Italic *flōs, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₃- (“to thrive, bloom”). Doublet of fleur, flor, flour, bloom, and blossom. Partly displaced native Old English blostma (which is cognate), whence Modern English blossom.

flower · noun2

From flow + -er.

Flower · proper noun3

  1. Middle English · derived fromflo“arrow”
  2. English todayFlower

* As an occupational English surname, from the noun flower, and sometimes flour. * Also as an English surname, from Middle English flo (“arrow”). * Also as an English surname, variant of Floor, itself from the noun floor. * As a Welsh surname, Anglicized from Llywarch.

Words from the same roots

Latinflōrem all →

flourish

Proto-Italic*flōs all →

florescence

Proto-Indo-European*bʰleh₃- all →

blessfoliodefilerefoulementfoliateeffloresceflorescencefloriographynon-refoulement

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.