Etymology
1. O.E.
flowan (class VII strong verb; past tense
fleow, pp.
flowen), from P.Gmc.
*flo- (cf. Du.
vloeien "to flow," O.N.
floa "to deluge," O.H.G.
flouwen "to rinse, wash"), probably from PIE
*pleu- "flow, float" (cf. Skt.
plavate "navigates, swims,"
plavayati "overflows;" Armenian
helum "I pour;" Gk.
plyno "I wash,"
pleo "swim, go by sea;" L.
pluere "to rain;" O.C.S.
plovo "to flow, navigate;" Lith.
pilu "to pour out,"
plauti "rinse"). The weak form predominated from 14c., but strong pp.
flown is occasionally attested through 18c.
2. From Middle English flowen, from Old English flōwan (“to flow”), from Proto-West Germanic *flōan, from Proto-Germanic *flōaną (“to flow”), from Proto-Indo-European *plōw-, lengthened o-grade form of *plew- (“to fly, flow, run”).
3. Cognate with Saterland Frisian flouje (“to flow”), West Frisian floeie (“to flow”), Dutch vloeien (“to flow”), Norwegian flo (“to flow”). Compare also English float. Not cognate with Latin fluō despite similarity. See: Middle English '
flowen', Proto-Germanic '
*flōaną', Frisian, Saterlandic 'flouje', Dutch '
vloeien', English '
float'.
Verbs referencing "flow"
Ido fluar, Lithuanian
plauti, Proto-Italic
flūō, Russian
плавить, Proto-Slavic
plaviti.