flung
/flʌŋ/
verb
Origin
Old Norse
flengja — to flog, strike, or beat
Overview
Meaning Now
- Past tense and past participle of fling; thrown, cast, or sent with force or suddenness.
Language path
Old Norse → Middle English → English
Earliest form
flungen
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The verb entered Middle English from Scandinavian sources, likely brought by Viking settlers. Its transition from meaning 'to beat or flog' to 'to throw or move rapidly' is a typical development where aggressive movement encompasses the object being moved.
Evolution
- Old Norse
flengja
“to strike or beat”
- Middle English
flingen
“to move violently or rush”
Semantic shift from striking to violent motion.
- Early Modern English
flung
“past form of to cast with force”
Connections
Word parts
flung
root
to throw violently
Related across languages
Norwegian
flengja
to slash or tear
Swedish
flänga
to rush about
Explore next
Related to flung
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.