flite

English

Alternative forms

• flyte (Scotland)

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -aɪt

Etymology 1

From Middle English flit, from Old English flit, ġeflit (“strife, contention”), from Proto-West Germanic *flit. The Old English term had a short vowel, so the modern term must have had its vowel leveled in from the verb at some point in its history.

Cognate with Scots flyte (“scolding, chiding, reproof”), Saterland Frisian Fliet (“zeal, diligence”), Dutch vlijt (“zeal, diligence”), German Low German Fliet (“zeal, diligence”), German Fleiß (“zeal, diligence”), Danish flid (“zeal, diligence”), Swedish flit (“zeal, diligence”).

Noun

flite (plural flites)

1. (dialectal) a quarrel, dispute, wrangling.
2. (dialectal) a scolding.

Etymology 2

From Middle English flyten (“to argue, quarrel”), from Old English flītan (“to strive, contend”), from Proto-West Germanic *flītan (“to strive, contend”). Akin to German befleissen (“to apply oneself diligently, endeavor”), Swedish beflita (“to apply to, study”), Norwegian Bokmål beflitte (“to endeavour, strive”).

Verb

flite (third-person singular simple present flites, present participle fliting, simple past flited or flote, past participle flited or flote or flitten)

1. (dialectal) to dispute, quarrel, wrangle, brawl.
2. (dialectal) to scold, jeer.
3. (obsolete) to make or utter complaint.

Related terms

• flyting

Anagrams

• filet

Middle English

Verb

flite

1. alternative form of flyten

Old English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfli.te/

Noun

flite

1. dative singular of flit