Etymology Map
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Flounder

3 stages from Old Norse to English.

Today it means a flat fish found in coastal waters

Where does the word "flounder" come from? It comes from Old Norse flyðra, passing through Anglo-Norman before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
flyðra
Old Norse · medieval
"flatfish"
a flatfish
2
Stage 2 of 3
floundre
Anglo-Norman · 1200s
"flatfish"
passed into the French of medieval England
3
Stage 3 of 3
flounder
English · 1300s
"flatfish"
unrelated to the verb 'flounder', to struggle clumsily
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Read the full story

Flounder’s story begins in Old Norse: flyðra meant “flatfish.” A flatfish. By 1200s, the word had taken hold in Anglo-Norman as floundre. Passed into the French of medieval England. It reached English by 1300s as flounder. Unrelated to the verb 'flounder', to struggle clumsily. Today, flounder means a flat fish found in coastal waters.