flourish

Where does the word "flourish" come from? It comes from Latin florere, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

Flourish’s story begins in Latin: florere meant “to bloom.” From 'flos', flower. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as florir. Its stem 'floriss-' gave the English form. It reached English by 1300s as flourish. The decorative sense, a flourish of the pen, came in the 1500s. Today, flourish means to grow or develop vigorously.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient florere "to bloom", from 'flos', flower.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval florir "to blossom", its stem 'floriss-' gave the English form.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s flourish "to bloom; to thrive", the decorative sense, a flourish of the pen, came in the 1500s.