An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Fladen

by Friedrich Kluge

Fladen, m., ‘flat cake, cow dung,’ from MidHG. vlade, m., ‘broad, thin cake,’ OHG. flado, ‘offering-cake’; corresponds to Du. vlade vla, f., ‘pancake,’ MidE. flaþe (Goth. *flaþa). Pre-Teut. platan- or plathan- would have to be assumed, perhaps with the primit. sense, ‘surface, flat thing’; comp. Gr. πλατύς, ‘broad’; Gr. πλάθανον (θ for Aryan th), ‘cake-mould’; Sans. pṛthús, ‘broad’ (akin to Sans. pṛthivî, ‘earth,’ under Feld), práthas, n., ‘breadth,’ Lith. platùs, ‘broad.’ Allied to the graded forms plôth, Lat. Plôtus, Plautus, lit. ‘flatfooted,’ semiplôtia, ‘slipper,’ MidHG. vluoder, ‘flounder,’ lit. ‘flat fish.’ Remoter cognates of the whole class are OIc. flatr, OHG. flaȥ, ‘level, flat.’ From Fladen, which is probably West Teut. only, arc derived the early MidLat. flado, Ital. fiadone, ‘honeycomb,’ Fr. flan, ‘flat cake, custard’ (whence E. flawn, ‘a kind of custard’). Comp. for its meaning MidHG. breitinc, m., ‘a sort of biscuit,’ akin to breit.