Etymology

All authorities connect this word with the ON v. represented by OIcel flengja 'to throw, fling', but the ME v. flingen is str. whereas the ON is wk. Thus an unattested ON str. v. *flinga is usually posited, but MED suggests instead an analogical modelling on the past tense forms of str. class III verbs. Seebold speculates that the v. is a 'colloquial formation' through nasalisation of PGmc *flaha ('to flog') or *floka 'to beat'.

PGmc Ancestor

*flenga-

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

*flinga, cp. flengja 'to throw, fling'
(ONP flengja (vb.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

Norw flengja

OE Cognate

Phonological and morphological markers

Summary category

B1

Attestation

Widespread in ME; first cited by MED in c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M. (Auch).

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

Pe 1165; WA 831*, 1218, 1348 etc.

Bibliography

MED flingen (v.) , OED fling (v.) , HTOED , de Vries flengja (2), Mag. flengja, Seebold fleng-a-