flow
UK[fləʊ]US[floʊ]
v
(of a liquid, gas, or electricity) to move steadily and continuously in a current or stream
v
(of people or things) to move or proceed smoothly and continuously
n
the steady and continuous movement of something in one direction
n
the amount of something that moves or is transferred over a particular period
Etymology
The English word 'flow' descends directly from the Old English 'flōwan', a verb of Germanic origin. It is related to the Old Norse 'flóa' (to deluge) and the Middle Dutch 'vloyen'. These terms can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic 'flōaną', which itself derives from the Proto-Indo-European root 'pleu-', meaning "to flow, to swim". This ancient root is the source of a wide river of related words, including 'flood', 'float', 'fly' (in the sense of moving through air), and the Latin 'pluere' (to rain). The core semantic logic has remained remarkably consistent from its Indo-European origin, evolving from the broad concept of fluid motion to describe the continuous, smooth movement of liquids, people, ideas, or time.
Analysis
The word 'flow' is a simplex word of Old English origin. It is derived from the Old English verb 'flōwan', meaning "to flow, stream, issue, become liquid, melt, abound, overflow". Its functional role is as a complete lexical root.
Examples
The river flows gently through the valley.
Traffic began to flow again after the accident was cleared.
The report analyzed the cash flow of the business over the last quarter.