flake
UK[fleɪk]US[fleɪk]
n
A small, flat, thin piece of something, especially one that has broken off from a larger piece.
n
A person who is unreliable or who does not keep their commitments.
v
To come off or break away in small, flat, thin pieces.
v
To fail to keep an appointment or commitment; to act in an unreliable way.
Etymology
The word 'flake' traces its lineage back to the Middle English 'flake' or 'flacke', which referred to a small flat piece or layer. This, in turn, is believed to have originated from a Proto-Germanic root, likely related to the Old Norse 'flakna', meaning 'to flake off' or 'peel'. The core concept embedded in its history is that of breaking or separating into thin, flat layers. This literal sense of a physical fragment logically extended in modern informal usage to describe a person who is unreliable or who 'breaks off' from social commitments, completing the word's journey from a concrete physical descriptor to an abstract characterization of behavior.
Analysis
The word 'flake' is a simplex word of Germanic origin. It is not productively formed from smaller, independent morphemes in modern English.
Examples
A flake of paint fell from the old ceiling.
He's a nice guy, but he's a total flake and always cancels plans at the last minute.
The dry skin on her elbows began to flake.