Talk:flake

flake
Online Etymology Dictionary claims some Old Norse word flak: as the origin for the Old English word. However, there is not such word in Old Norse and the corresponding one (according to ODS) is fleka:/fleki:. Interestingly, there is a Norwegian word flak which means torn piece. I think that claiming OE < Norwegian descendance would look strange, but here comes Bokmålsordboka on succor and explains that the Norwegian word descends from unattested ON *flaga: and I am fairly convinced that this provides the solution to the issue whence the OE word was borrowed - the answer is English flake < OE ... < ON *flaga: ( > Norwegian flak:). Are there any objections against putting the italicised text in the etymology section? Bogorm 12:57, 22 February 2009 (UTC)


 * Yes. ON flaga: seems more analogous to English  to me.  Flake is a weird one... the OED say "of difficult etymology: possibly several distinct words have coalesced", so I am wary of any "simple" solution.  It may have existed in OE, though it's not attested before Chaucer.  OED also suggests ON flóke: as cognate.  I don't think we can reasonably just invent a solution, however tempting, unless there is some authority for it.  Ƿidsiþ 16:54, 26 February 2009 (UTC)
 * I wonder if fleck and perhaps flock (etymology 2) belong to the words which merged in flake. --Florian Blaschke (talk) 01:31, 9 July 2013 (UTC)


 * In my opinion the word fictus ( made, false) gives fake. The word sectus, cut gives sake ( safety), the word rectus gives rake(garden tool), the word coctus (cooked)gives cake, the word lectus( bed,choosen) gives lake and so the word flectus( curved) is a cognate of flake. --Mark Mage 15:13, 23 April 2009 (UTC)
 * I must commend you for your attempt at finding a regular pattern, but your proposals are unfortunately untenable. --Florian Blaschke (talk) 01:31, 9 July 2013 (UTC)

Additional definition
The word flake also refers to a unit of a bale of hay or straw. Would this simply be a part of the first definition or worthy of its own? Machdelu (talk) 13:53, 13 March 2014 (UTC)
 * I think it would be covered under the first definition as per "a thin chiplike layer". --Dmol (talk) 20:17, 13 March 2014 (UTC)

RFC discussion: June 2007
Tagged but not listed. --Connel MacKenzie 21:13, 3 June 2007 (UTC)