flamenco (Spanish)

Where does "flamenco" come from?

The Spanish word 'flamenco' originates from the Dutch term 'Vlaming'[1]. This Dutch word evolved from the Middle Dutch 'vlaminc', which traces back through Old Dutch 'flāmink' and Old Frisian '*flāming' to the Proto-Germanic '*flaumaz'[2]. The ultimate root of this lineage is the Proto-Indo-European '*plew-', meaning 'to sail'[3]. While its primary definition refers to the Flemish people[1], the term also evolved in Spanish to encompass senses such as 'insolent' or 'cheeky'[1][2][3].

Open questions

• The derivation from Old Frisian '*flāming is a reconstructed intermediate form that lacks direct attestation. [2]
• The connection between the original meaning of 'Flemish' and the later sense of 'insolent' is not fully explained by the provided etymological chain. [1] [2]

Full etymology tree

• flamenco (Spanish), 'Flemish'
  • borrowed Vlaming (Dutch), 'Fleming (person from Flanders)'
    • inherited vlaminc (Middle Dutch), 'Fleming'
      • inherited flāmink (Old Dutch)
        • inherited *flāming (Old Frisian)
          • derived *flām (Proto-Germanic)
            • derived *flaumaz (Proto-Germanic), 'stream; current; flow'
              • inherited *plowmos (Pre-Germanic)
                • inherited *plew- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to fly, flow, run'

Ancestors

• Vlaming (Dutch)

Sources

1. flamenco (Spanish) - Wiktionary
2. Vlaming (Dutch) - Wiktionary
3. flaumaz (Proto-Germanic) - Wiktionary

Updated August 2026

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