flake

n.

(1) ‘spot, blemish’; (2) ‘fold’

(Modern English )

Etymology

Interpretations of the meaning and etymology of the n. flake in Pe 947 (‘and as hys flok is wythouten flake/so is hys mote wythouten moote’) vary along with its identification and usually involve some possibility of ON input: (1) the more common reading ‘blemish’ (EVG, McGee 364, OED, MED), which gives the best sense in context, requires a word with an uncertain etymology. (i) OED compares both Du vlak ‘blot, speck’ and fleck (n.1) which it describes as either cognate with or derived from ON flekkr ‘fleck, spot’ (also Emerson 1922b: 86, citing Stratmann-Bradley), and notes that the senses 'strongly suggest connection' between the two lexemes but that the root vowels seem to belong to different ablaut series. Emerson (1922b: 86) supports Bj.’s view that an unattested native cognate is likely and reconstructs OE *flæc. (ii) MED compares instead the OIcel v. flakna, flagna ‘to flake or chip off’ and also implies the possibility of native derivation by citing OE (poetic) flac-or ‘flying (of arrows)’ (see further OED s.v. flake (n.2).). (2) The older view suggests that the word is from ON flaki 'hurdle', but this requires a somewhat strained extension of the sense: Goll glosses ‘fold’, Osgood ‘pinfold’ which nonetheless does not fit well with the context in Pe (see esp. Emerson 1927: 828).

PGmc Ancestor

(1i) *flekk-az; (1ii) *flak-; (2) *flak-

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

(1i) flekkr ‘fleck, spot’; (1ii) flagna ‘to flake or chip off’; (2) flaki ‘hurdle’
(ONP (1i) flekkr (sb.); (1ii) flagna (vb.); (2) flaki (sb.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

(1i) Far flekkur, Icel flekkur, Norw flekk, ODan flek, Sw fläck; (1ii) Icel flagna, Norw flagna, Sw flagna; (2) Far flaki, Icel flaki, fleki, Norw flake, Dan dial flage, Sw dial flake

OE Cognate

(1) *flæc, cp. flacor ‘flying (of arrows)’

Phonological and morphological markers

Summary category

DD2

Attestation

(1) This is MED’s only citation of its sense (b) ‘a speck or spot; a blemish’ (OED adds one 16c. citation), though the sense ‘flake, particle’ (OED n.2) is widely, if not commonly, attested in ME from a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw. (Cmb Gg.1.1) onwards. (2) Cited by MED from a range of texts from the 14c. onwards as well as several by-names.

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

Pe 947

Bibliography

(1) MED flāke (n.1) , OED flake (n.3)[ http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/70980?isAdvanced=false&result=3&rskey=DVStJh&], HTOED ; (1i) de Vries flekkr, Mag flekkur (2), Torp-Falk flek, Orel *flekk-az; (1ii) de Vries flagna, Mag. flagna, Kroonen *flaka-; (2) MED flēke (n.)[ http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/m/mec/med-idx?type=id&id=MED16256&egs=all&egdisplay=open], OED flake (n.1)[ http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/70978?isAdvanced=false&result=1&rskey=4PczR4&], EDD flake (sb.1 and v.1), de Vries flaki, Mag. flaki (1), Torp-Falk flagne, Orel *flakōn