Etymology

Always derived from ON, cp. OIcel flytja ‘cause to flit, carry, convey; recite, deliver; perform’. This weak v. formed on the root *flut- from the Gmc strong v. *fleutan- ‘float, stream’ (cp. OIcel fljóta, OE flēotan, OFris flīata, OS fliotan, OHG fliozan) is only attested in NGmc.

PGmc Ancestor

*flutjan

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

flytja ‘cause to flit, carry, convey; recite, deliver; perform’
(ONP flytja (vb.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

Far flyta, flytja, Icel flytja, Norw flytja, Dan flytte, OSw flytta, Sw flytta

OE Cognate

Phonological and morphological markers

Summary category

C1

Attestation

Common and widespread from c. 1200 onwards.

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

WA 2173, 2439, 3784 etc.

Bibliography

MED flitten (v.) , OED flit (v.) , HTOED , HTOED , Bj. 210, de Vries flytja, Mag. flytja, Orel *fleutanan-, Kroonen *fleutan-, Seebold Fleu-t-a