flail

Signification (English)

Noun

1. A tool used for threshing, consisting of a long handle (handstock) with a shorter stick (swipple or swingle) attached with a short piece of chain, thong or similar material.
2. A weapon which has the (usually spherical) striking part attached to the handle with a flexible joint such as a chain.

Verb

1. To beat using a flail or similar implement.
2. To wave or swing vigorously
3. To thresh.
4. To move like a flail.

Concepts

fléau

se débattre

rosser

fléau d’armes

agonie

fléau d'armes

flageller

gourdin

marteau

massue

Synonyms

thresh

bludgeon

thrash

struggle

club

lam

throes

scourge

hammer

🔨

lather

mallet

maul

pestle

plague

planks

rammer

strike

swingle

switch

whip

writhe

printing plate

thrash about

threshingstick

corn thresher

threshing stick

sweeping gear

birch

trosh

buff

calamity

cowhide

death throes

flagellate

jerk

knock about

lash

Prononcé comme (IPA)

/fleɪl/

Étymologie (English)

Inherited from moyen anglais: flayle

Inherited from ancien anglais: fligel

Cognate with écossais: flail

Cognate with frison occidental: fleil

Cognate with néerlandais: vlegel

Cognate with allemand: Flegel

Cognate with vieux norrois: flaga

Cognate with lituanien: plàkti

Cognate with grec ancien: πληγνύναι

Cognate with latin: plangō

Cognate with vieux norrois: blekkja

Cognate with ancien français: flael

Cognate with wallon: flayea

Cognate with italien: flagello

In summary

From Middle English flayle, from earlier fleil, fleyl, fleȝȝl, from Old English fligel, *flegel (“flail”), from Proto-West Germanic *flagil, of uncertain origin. Cognate with Scots flail (“a thresher's flail”), West Frisian fleil, flaaiel (“flail”), Dutch vlegel (“flail”), German Flegel (“flail”). Possibly a native Germanic word from Proto-Germanic *flagilaz (“whip”), from Proto-Germanic *flag-, *flah- (“to whip, beat”), from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂k- (“to beat, hit, strike; weep”); compare Old Norse flaga (“sudden attack, bout”), Lithuanian plàkti (“to whip, lash, flog”), Ancient Greek πληγνύναι (plēgnúnai, “strike, hit, encounter”), Latin plangō (“lament”, i.e. “beat one's breast”) + Proto-Germanic *-ilaz (instrumental suffix). If so, related also to English flag, flack, flacker.
Alternatively, Proto-West Germanic *flagil may be an early borrowing of Latin flagellum (“winnowing tool, thresher”), diminutive of flagrum (“scourge, whip”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰlag-, *bʰlaǵ- (“to beat”); compare Old Norse blekkja (“to beat, mistreat”). Compare also Old French flael (“flail”), Walloon flayea (“flail”) (locally pronounced "flai"), Italian flagello (“scourge, whip, plague”).