Flitan

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. An Old English verb meaning to quarrel, argue or contend bitterly with someone over a matter in dispute
2. Archaic term for engaging in a heated verbal dispute or wrangling with another person
3. Old English word describing the act of striving against someone in argument or contention

Etymology: In Old English, "flītan" meant to quarrel, wrangle, or dispute, with no sense of moving at all. Its nearest relatives in other Germanic languages, such as Old High German "flīzan," carried the idea of striving or being diligent. The Old English verb survived into later English as "flite," meaning to scold, which is now archaic. The modern sense of moving house or slipping away came from a different source. Middle English "flitten" was borrowed from Old Norse "flytja," meaning to carry or convey, and it spread through northern English dialects. The two verbs only look alike by coincidence of form. Those who "flit" today are not quarrelling, and the old quarrelling sense has largely vanished from everyday English.