I’m mobile and can’t verify anything, but if you trust a goggle AI Overview then here you go.
The word “flotilla” originates from the Spanish word flotilla, a diminutive form of flota meaning “fleet”. This, in turn, came from Old French floter and ultimately Germanic roots, like Old Norse floti (“raft, fleet”) and Old English flota (“ship” or “fleet”), which are ancestors of the English word “float”. The English term “flotilla” was adopted in 1711 and refers to a small fleet, especially of small naval vessels like destroyers or submarines.
Here’s a breakdown of the word’s origin:
Spanish: Flotilla (diminutive of flota, meaning “fleet”).
Old French: Floter (“to float, set afloat”).
Germanic: Old Norse floti (“raft, fleet”) and Old English flota (“ship, fleet”).
Indo-European: Traced back to the root pleu- (“to flow”).
The English word “flotilla” was first recorded in 1711.
I’m mobile and can’t verify anything, but if you trust a goggle AI Overview then here you go.
The word “flotilla” originates from the Spanish word flotilla, a diminutive form of flota meaning “fleet”. This, in turn, came from Old French floter and ultimately Germanic roots, like Old Norse floti (“raft, fleet”) and Old English flota (“ship” or “fleet”), which are ancestors of the English word “float”. The English term “flotilla” was adopted in 1711 and refers to a small fleet, especially of small naval vessels like destroyers or submarines. Here’s a breakdown of the word’s origin: Spanish: Flotilla (diminutive of flota, meaning “fleet”). Old French: Floter (“to float, set afloat”). Germanic: Old Norse floti (“raft, fleet”) and Old English flota (“ship, fleet”). Indo-European: Traced back to the root pleu- (“to flow”). The English word “flotilla” was first recorded in 1711.
Ahh dang! So close. I guessed 16th century.
Hey you were closer than me, I would have guessed closer to Roman times since it hits me as a Latin origin.