fleax

Old English

Alternative forms

• flæx, flex

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *flahs, from Proto-Germanic *flahsą.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /flæ͜ɑks/

Noun

fleax n

1. linen, flax
   • late 9th century, translation of Orosius’ History Against the Pagans

     ⁊ hæfdon ġeleornad mā cræfta hū hīe þā elpendas beswīcan mehton, mid þǣm þæt hīe nāmon trēowu, ⁊ slōgon on oþerne ende moniġe sċearpe īsene næġlas, ⁊ hīe mid flexe bewundon, ⁊ onbǣrndon hit, ⁊ beþyddan hit þonne on þone elpend hindan...

     And they had learned more tricks through which they could ensnare the elephants; they took stakes and drove into the other end many sharp iron nails, and wrapped them in flax, and set them on fire, and then thrust them into the elephant from behind...

Declension

Strong a-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	fleax	—
accusative	fleax	—
genitive	fleaxes	—
dative	fleaxe	—

Synonyms

• līn

Derived terms

• fleaxen

Descendants

• Middle English: flax, fflex, flaxe, flex, flexe, vlex
  • English: flax