"F" Word Origins

fives

Origin

Origin uncertain; possibly from the five fingers used to strike the ball.

fix

Latin

From Latin fixus, "fastened, immovable," the past participle of figere, "to fasten or drive in" — the same root gives us "fixture."

fixable

Origin

From "fix" plus the suffix "-able," meaning "capable of."

fixate

Origin

From fix + -ate (verb-forming suffix) or Latin fixus (“fixed, solid”) + -ate.

fixation

Latin

From French fixation, ultimately from Latin figere, "to fasten" — the same root as "fix" and "fixture."

Fixit

Origin

A blend of "Finland" and "exit," modeled directly on the word "Brexit" (Britain + exit).

fixture

Origin

An altered form of the older word "fixure," reshaped to match "mixture."

fizgig

Origin

From Middle English gig (“a frivolous woman”); the first element of the word may be from fise (“an instance of flatulence”), from fist (“an act of breaking wind”).

fizz

Origin

An imitative word, formed to mimic the hissing sound it describes.

fizzle

Origin

From an older English word meaning "to break wind quietly" — the current sense of "petering out" developed later from the idea of a weak, fading hiss.

fizzy

Origin

From "fizz" plus the adjective suffix "-y."

fjord

Old Norse

Borrowed from Norwegian fjord, from Old Norse fjorðr, ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "a crossing" — related to "ford" and "firth."

flab

Origin

Back-formation from flabby.

flabbergast

Origin

The origin of the verb is uncertain; possibly dialectal (Suffolk), from flabby or flap (“to strike”) + aghast. The word may be related to Scottish flabrigast (“to boast”) or flabrigastit (“worn out with exertion”). The noun is derived from the verb.

flabbergasted

Origin · 1700

The past-tense form of "flabbergast," a word of uncertain origin first recorded in the 18th century, possibly blending "flabby" and "aghast."

flabbergaster

Origin

From flabbergast + -er.

flabbergastment

Origin

From flabbergast + -ment.

flabby

Origin

A variant of "flappy," from "flap" in the sense "to hang loosely."

flaccid

Latin

From Latin flaccidus, "drooping, limp," related to flaccus, "flabby."

flack

Origin

Origin debated; likely an independent development from an older word meaning "to flutter or flap," though often confused with "flak."

flag

Germanic

Origin uncertain; may be related to Germanic words for "something flat," describing the flag's shape, or to old words for fluttering.

flagellation

Origin

From French flagellation, from Latin flagellatio, from flagellare, from flagellum, diminutive of flagrum (“whip”).

flageolet

Origin

Borrowed from French flageolet.

Flagg

Old English

Both the surname and village are from Old English flag (“slab”), itself borrowed from Old Norse flaga, from Proto-Germanic *flaką (“something flat”), from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂- (“flat, broad, plain”).

flagged

Origin

From flag (“piece of cloth”).

flaggy

Origin

From flag + -y.

flagitious

Origin

From Old French flagitieux or Latin flāgitiōsus, both ultimately from flāgitium (“shameful crime”), related to flagrum (“whip”).

flagpole

Origin

A compound of "flag" and "pole."

flagrant

Latin

From Latin flagrantem, "burning, blazing," the present participle of flagrare, "to burn" — the sense shifted from literal burning to "glaringly obvious," as if blazing for all to see.

flagship

Origin

From flag + ship — literally the ship that flies the commander's flag.

flagstaff

Origin

From flag + staff, a pole for a flag.

flagstone

Origin

From flag + stone.

Flaherty

Irish

From Irish Flaithbheartach, Flaithbheartaigh (“bright ruler”), from flaith (“prince, ruler”) + Proto-Celtic *berxtos (“bright, shining”), cognate with Proto-Germanic *berhtaz (“bright, shining”).

flail

Latin

From Old English flegel, an old Germanic farm-tool word, related to German Flegel; possibly ultimately linked to Latin flagellum, "whip."

flair

Old French

From Old French flair, "scent, smell," from flairier, "to smell" — originally about a keen sense of smell before it came to mean a knack or style.

flak

German

Borrowed from German FlaK, a short form of Fliegerabwehrkanone, "aircraft-defense cannon."

flake

Old English

From Old English/Old Norse roots meaning a loose or torn-off piece, ultimately from a very old word for something flat; the "unreliable person" sense is a modern slang extension.

flam

Origin

Comes from the older word "flim-flam," meaning a deceptive trick or nonsense talk.

flamboyant

French

From French flamboyant, "flaming," from flamboyer, "to flame" — the word originally described a wavy, flame-like architectural style before it came to describe showy people.

flame

Latin

From Old French flame/flambe, both going back to Latin flamma, "flame," from a very old Indo-European root meaning "to shine or gleam."

flamenco

Spanish

Borrowed from Spanish flamenco, originally meaning "Fleming"/"Flemish" — the connection to the dance style is debated among etymologists.

flamethrower

Latin

From flame + thrower, translating German Flammenwerfer.

flamingo

Spanish

From Portuguese/Spanish flamengo/flamenco, ultimately linked to a word meaning "Flemish" — likely because of a perceived link between a ruddy complexion and the Flemish people, though the exact path is debated.

flammable

Origin

Formed as a back-formation from inflammable, deliberately created so warning labels wouldn't be misread as meaning "not flammable."

flan

Late Latin

From French flan, "cheesecake/custard tart," from Old French flaon, from Late Latin fladō, "flat cake."

Flanagan

Irish

From Irish Ó Flannagáin (“descendant of Flannagán”), a personal name from a double diminutive of flann (“blood red”).

flaneur

Origin

From French flâneur (“loafer, idler, dawdler, loiterer”).

flange

Origin

From dialectal English flange/flanch, "a projection," ultimately related to flank.