An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Fleck

by Friedrich Kluge

Fleck, Flecken, masculine, neuter, with many senses which are historically the same, ‘spot, stain, patch,’ from Middle High German vlëc, vlëcke, masculine, ‘piece of stuff, patch, rag, piece of land, place, spot, differently coloured spot, stain, blemish,’ Old High German flëc, flëccho; Dutch vlek, feminine, ‘spot of dirt,’ vlek, neuter, ‘village’; Gothic *flikka- or *flikkan- (or rather *þl-) is wanting; compare Old Icelandic flekkr (genitive plural flekkja), masculine, ‘a fleck, spot, stain,’ as well as flík, feminine, ‘rag, piece of stuff.’ Its connection with Scandinavian flikke, Anglo-Saxon flicce, English flitch, is dubious. See flicken.