flirter (English)

Where does "flirter" come from?

The English noun 'flirter' is formed from the verb 'flirt' combined with the agent suffix '-er'[1]. The root word 'flirt' first appeared around 1553, emerging from a merger of Early Modern English forms meaning to flick, to mock or jibe, and a giddy girl[2]. There is also a noncognate historical parallel in the Old English 'fleardere', meaning one who acts wantonly or with folly.

Open questions

• The ultimate origin and relation of the base word flirt are obscure. [2]

Full etymology tree

• flirter (English), 'One who flirts.'
  • derived flirt (English), 'A sudden jerk; a quick throw or cast; a darting motion'
    • contraction flirt (Early Modern English)
    • contraction flurt (Early Modern English)
  • suffix -er (English), 'A person or thing that does an action indicated by the root verb; used to form an agent noun.'

Ancestors

• flirt (English)
• -er (English)

Sources

1. flirter (English) - Wiktionary
2. flirt (English) - Wiktionary

Updated September 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris