fleo

Italian

Etymology

From New Latin, from Ancient Greek φλέως (phléōs, “wool-tufted reed”).

Noun

fleo m (plural flei)

1. timothy, catstail

Anagrams

• elfo

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *flēō, from earlier *flējō, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₁- (“to bleat, cry”).^[1]

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈfle.oː/, [ˈfɫ̪eoː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈfle.o/, [ˈflɛːo]

Verb

fleō (present infinitive flēre, perfect active flēvī, supine flētum); second conjugation

1. (intransitive) to weep, cry

   Antonyms: rīdeō, subrīdeō

   • Horatius, Ars Poetica

     Sī vīs mē flēre, dolendum est prīmum ipsī tibi.

     If you wish me to cry, you yourself must first be grieved.

2. (transitive) to lament, bewail, grieve for

   Synonyms: dēplōrō, ingemō, lūgeō, gemō, queror, conqueror, plōrō, plangō

Conjugation

indicative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	fleō		flēs		flet		flēmus		flētis		flent
	imperfect	flēbam		flēbās		flēbat		flēbāmus		flēbātis		flēbant
	future	flēbō		flēbis		flēbit		flēbimus		flēbitis		flēbunt
	perfect	flēvī		flēvistī, flēstī1		flēvit, flēt1		flēvimus, flēmus1		flēvistis, flēstis1		flēvērunt, flērunt, flēvēre1
	pluperfect	flēveram, flēram1		flēverās, flērās1		flēverat, flērat1		flēverāmus, flērāmus1		flēverātis, flērātis1		flēverant, flērant1
	future perfect	flēverō, flērō1		flēveris, flēris1		flēverit, flērit1		flēverimus, flērimus1		flēveritis, flēritis1		flēverint, flērint1
passive	present	fleor		flēris, flēre		flētur		flēmur		flēminī		flentur
	imperfect	flēbar		flēbāris, flēbāre		flēbātur		flēbāmur		flēbāminī		flēbantur
	future	flēbor		flēberis, flēbere		flēbitur		flēbimur		flēbiminī		flēbuntur
	perfect	flētus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	flētus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	flētus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	fleam		fleās		fleat		fleāmus		fleātis		fleant
	imperfect	flērem		flērēs		flēret		flērēmus		flērētis		flērent
	perfect	flēverim, flērim1		flēverīs, flērīs1		flēverit, flērit1		flēverīmus, flērīmus1		flēverītis, flērītis1		flēverint, flērint1
	pluperfect	flēvissem, flēssem1		flēvissēs, flēssēs1		flēvisset, flēsset1		flēvissēmus, flēssēmus1		flēvissētis, flēssētis1		flēvissent, flēssent1
passive	present	flear		fleāris, fleāre		fleātur		fleāmur		fleāminī		fleantur
	imperfect	flērer		flērēris, flērēre		flērētur		flērēmur		flērēminī		flērentur
	perfect	flētus + present active subjunctive of sum
	pluperfect	flētus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	—		flē		—		—		flēte		—
	future	—		flētō		flētō		—		flētōte		flentō
passive	present	—		flēre		—		—		flēminī		—
	future	—		flētor		flētor		—		—		flentor
non-finite forms		infinitive						participle
		active			passive			active			passive
present		flēre			flērī			flēns			—
future		flētūrum esse			flētum īrī			flētūrus			flendus
perfect		flēvisse, flēsse1			flētum esse			—			flētus
future perfect		—			flētum fore			—			—
perfect potential		flētūrum fuisse			—			—			—
verbal nouns		gerund								supine
		genitive		dative		accusative		ablative		accusative		ablative
		flendī		flendō		flendum		flendō		flētum		flētū

   Conjugation of fleō (second conjugation)

¹At least one rare poetic syncopated perfect form is attested.

Derived terms

• affleō
• dēfleō
• diffleō
• effleō
• flēbilis
• flēns
• flētus

Related terms

• flēbiliter

References

1. De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “fleō”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 226

Further reading

• “fleo”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “fleo”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• fleo in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎, London: Macmillan and Co.
  • (ambiguous) to be hardly able to restrain one's tears: fletum cohibere non posse
    
  • (ambiguous) to move to tears: lacrimas or fletum alicui movere
    

Middle English

Noun

fleo

1. Alternative form of flo

Old English

Alternative forms

• flīo, fleah, flīe, flīġ

Etymology

Uncertain. Possibly from Proto-Germanic *fleg-, related to Proto-Germanic *flekka-. Cognate with Old Saxon flī (“white spot”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fle͜oː/

Noun

flēo n

1. a white spot in the eye

Usage notes

• The neuter forms are indeclineable.

Declension

	singular	plural
nominative	flēo	flēo
accusative	flēo	flēo
genitive	flēo	flēo
dative	flēo	flēo

Synonyms

• flēa m (“white spot in the eye”)