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Origin and history of flight

flight(n.1)

"act of flying," Old English flyht "a flying, act or power of flying," from Proto-Germanic *flukhtiz (source also of Dutch vlucht "flight of birds," Old Norse flugr, Old High German flug, German Flug "flight"), said in Watkins to be from Proto-Germanic *flugti-, suffixed form of PIE root *pleu- "to flow."

The spelling was altered late 14c. from Middle English fliht (see fight (v.)). The sense of "swift motion" is attested from mid-13c. The meaning "an instance of flight" is from 1785, originally of ballooning.

The meaning "series of stairs between landings" is attested by 1703; fly (v.) is attested by 1680s in a special sense in reference to stairs, "ascend or descend without change of direction."

The sense of "a number of things passing through the air together" is from mid-13c. Figuratively, "an excursion" of fancy, imagination, etc., from 1660s.

The aviator's flight-path is attested from 1908; flight-test (v.) from 1919; flight-simulator from 1947 (originally in rocketry); the airline flight-attendant from 1946.

flight(n.2)

"act of fleeing," c. 1200, flihht, not found in Old English, but presumed to have existed and cognate with Old Saxon fluht, Old Frisian flecht "act of fleeing," Dutch vlucht, Old High German fluht, German Flucht, Old Norse flotti, Gothic þlauhs, from Proto-Germanic *flugti-, suffixed form of PIE root *pleu- "to flow." To put (someone or something) to flight "rout, defeat" is from late 14c., the earlier verb form do o' flight (early 13c.).

also from c. 1200

Entries linking to flight

fight(v.)

Old English feohtan "to combat, contend with weapons, strive; attack; gain by fighting, win" (intransitive; class III strong verb; past tense feaht, past participle fohten), from Proto-Germanic *fe(u)hta (source also of Old High German fehtan, German fechten, Middle Dutch and Dutch vechten, Old Frisian fiuhta "to fight"), probably from PIE *pek- (2) "to comb, to pluck out" wool or hair (source also of Lithuanian pėšti "to pluck," Greek pekein "to comb, shear," pekos "fleece, wool;" Persian pashm "wool, down," Latin pectere "to comb," Sanskrit paksman- "eyebrows, hair"). Apparently the notion is "pulling roughly," or "to tear out one another's hair." But perhaps it is from the source of Latin pugnus "fist."

Spelling substitution of -gh- for a "hard H" sound was a Middle English scribal habit, especially before -t-. In some late Old English examples, the middle consonant was represented by a yogh. Among provincial early Modern English spellings, Wright lists faight, fate, fecht, feeght, feight, feit, feyght, feyt, feort, foight.

From c. 1200 as "offer resistance, struggle;" also "to quarrel, wrangle, create a disturbance." From late 14c. as "be in conflict." Transitive use from 1690s. To fight for "contest on behalf of" is from early 14c. To fight back "resist" is recorded from 1890. Well figt þat wel fligt ("he fights well that flies fast") was a Middle English proverb.

fly(n.1)

[winged insect] Middle English flie (2), from Old English fleoge, fleogan "a fly, winged insect," from Proto-Germanic *fleugon "the flying (insect)" (compare Old English fleogende "flying"). According to Watkins this is from PIE root *pleu- "to flow," which is also the reconstructed source of fly (v.1). The plural flien (as in oxen, etc.) gradually was normalized 13c.-15c. to -s.

Originally and in popular language a flying insect of any common kind (moths, gnats, bees, beetles, locusts, hence butterfly, etc.) and long used by farmers and gardeners for any insect parasite. Especially of the common house-fly (Latin musca). In modern entomology, a two-winged insect of the order Diptera especially of the family Muscidae.

Flies figuratively for "large numbers" of anything is from 1590s. Fly in the ointment "small or trifling matter which spoils enjoyment" is from Eccles. x:1. Fly on the wall "unseen observer" is recorded by 1881. No flies on _____ "no lack of activity or alertness on the part of," is attested by 1881, said to be a reference to active cattle.

The meaning "fish-hook dressed to resemble an insect" is attested from 1580s; fly-fishing is from 1650s; fly-rod, used by anglers in fly-fishing, is from 1680s.

The fly agaric mushroom (1788) is so called because it was used in fly powders and other poisons for flies.

Germanic cognates include Old Saxon fleiga, Old Norse fluga, Middle Dutch vlieghe, Dutch vlieg, Old High German flioga, German Fliege "fly."