flirt (French)

Where does "flirt" come from?

The French noun 'flirt' was borrowed from English[1]. The English word dates to 1553 and arose from the merger of terms meaning to flick, to mock or jibe or scorn, and a giddy girl[2].

Open questions

• The ultimate origin and exact relation among the early English forms remain obscure. [2]

Full etymology tree

• flirt (French), 'an episode of (or the act of) flirting'
  • borrowed flirt (English), 'A sudden jerk; a quick throw or cast; a darting motion'
    • derived flirt (Early Modern English)
    • derived flurt (Early Modern English)

Ancestors

• flirt (English)

Descendants and derived words

• flört (Turkish)

Sources

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

Updated September 2026

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