Fliting

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Moving in a light, swift, or fleeting manner as if passing quickly by
2. Passing rapidly or fleetingly with gentle and delicate motion
3. Traveling or gliding quickly and lightly, often in a brief or passing way

Etymology: "Fliting" is the present participle of "flite," an old verb that once meant to quarrel or wrangle. The sense of gentle, rapid motion is a later development that the verb picked up. Its root word was "flit," which meant "strife" or "contention" in Old English, and the same root produced German "Fleiß" and Dutch "vlijt," both meaning diligence, so the family of meanings runs from striving to scolding to industry. The verb traces back to Old English "flītan," meaning "to strive, contend," and it came into Middle English as "flyten," meaning "to argue, quarrel." Scots kept the quarrelling sense alive in the noun "flyte," meaning scolding or reproof. The modern "flit" for light, quick movement developed separately in English, and the long vowel of "flite" was likely shaped by that later verb rather than by the older Old English form, which had a short vowel.