Indo-European etymology :

Proto-IE: *plus-, *pusl-, *psul-; *b(h)-

Nostratic etymology: Nostratic etymology

Meaning: flea

Old Indian: plúṣi- m. `a species of noxious insect, flying white-ant'; paroṣṇī f. `cockroach'

Other Iranian: Pashto vrā́ẓ̌a (< Ir. *brúšā) 'flea'

Armenian: lu, gen. lvoy `блоха'

Old Greek: psǘlla f. (/ psǘllo-s m.) `Floh'

Slavic: *blъxā́

Baltic: *blus-ā̂ f.

Germanic: *flaux; *fláux-a- m., n.

Latin: pūlex, -icis m. `Floh'

Albanian: plesht, pl. -a `flea'

Russ. meaning: насекомое (блоха)

Comments: Germ *flaux- probably < *pslou-k-.

Vasmer's dictionary :

Baltic etymology :

Germanic etymology :

Proto-Germanic: *flaux; *fláuxa-z, -n

Meaning: flea

IE etymology: IE etymology

Old Norse: flō, pl. flȫr f.

Norwegian: flo

Old English: flēah `flea'; flēa, -an m. `id.', flēo `id.'

English: flea

Middle Dutch: vlō f.

Dutch: vlo f.

Middle Low German: vlō f.

Old High German: flōh (9.Jh.)

Middle High German: vlōch, vlō st. m. 'floh'

German: Floh m.

Pokorny's dictionary :

Number: 173

Root: blou- (bhlou-?), plou-

English meaning: flea

German meaning: `Floh'

General comments: Mit k- und s-Suffixen und tabuierender Umstellung und Anlautswechsel.

Material: Mit p: ai. plúši-, arm. lu (*plus-), alb. plesht, lat. pūlex (*pusl-ex), idg.*plouk- in ahd. flôh, ags. fléah.

    Mit b (oder bh?): afgh. vraža, gr. ψύλλα (*blusi̯ā), balto-slav. *blusā in lit. blusà, lett. blusa, pr. ON Blus-kaym, russ.-ksl. blъcha, skr. bùha, russ. bɫochá.

References: Meillet MSL. 22, 142, 539 f., Trautmann 35, Specht Dekl. 42 f., 203, 235.

Pages: 102

PIE database: PIE database

Nostratic etymology :

Eurasiatic: *pur_cwV(GV) / *pülcwV(GV)

Meaning: flea

Borean: Borean

Indo-European: *plus-, *pusl-, *psul-; *b(h)-

Altaic: *bi̯ure (also PTM *balču-ksa 'tick')

Uralic: *pülčä (Khelim.)

Dravidian: *puṛŋ-

References: МССНЯ 331, ОСНЯ 2, 99-100; ND 1714 *paLuCV 'stinging insect', 1780 *pürGU(-čV) ~ *pürčVGV 'flea, gnat, mosquito'. Cf. also *ṗVlV 'fly, flea'; *ṗVrV 'bee, insect'.

Altaic etymology :

Proto-Altaic: *bi̯ure

Nostratic: Nostratic

Meaning: flea

Russian meaning: блоха

Turkic: *bürče / *bürge

Mongolian: *bürge

Korean: *pjǝ̀rók

Comments: KW 71, SKE 198, ОСНЯ 2, 99-100, Лексика 183. In Turkic one would rather expect *bir-: this variant is indeed reflected in most Oghuz languages; others may have reintroduced -ü- under Mongolian influence.

Turkic etymology :

Proto-Turkic: *bürče / *bürge

Altaic etymology: Altaic etymology

Meaning: flea

Russian meaning: блоха

Karakhanid: bürge (MK, IM)

Turkish: pire

Tatar: börčɛ

Middle Turkic: bürge (MA, Pav. C., Sangl.)

Uzbek: burga

Uighur: bürgä

Azerbaidzhan: pirä

Turkmen: büre

Chuvash: pъʷrźa

Kirghiz: bürgö

Kazakh: bürge, bürše (dial.), burša (dial.)

Noghai: bürše

Bashkir: börsä

Balkar: bürče

Gagauz: pire

Karaim: bürče

Karakalpak: bürge

Kumyk: bürče

Comments: EDT 362, VEWT 92, ЭСТЯ 2, 298-299, Лексика 182-183. The Kypch. form *bürče is a diminutive.

Mongolian etymology :

Proto-Mongolian: *bürge

Altaic etymology: Altaic etymology

Meaning: 1 flea 2 louse

Russian meaning: 1 блоха 2 вошь

Written Mongolian: bürge, büürge 2

Middle Mongolian: burge (HY 12) 2, birik (IM) 1, burkä (MA) 1, būrge (Lig.VMI) 1

Khalkha: bǖreg 2

Kalmuck: bǖrgǝ 1

Ordos: bǖrge 1

Dongxian: bǝnɣǝ

Baoan: bǝrgǝ

Monguor: būrge (SM 35), 2 (MGCD burgǝ)

Comments: KW 71, MGCD 513. Cf. also (L 138) burɣuusun 'mosquito, gnat'. Length in Northern forms may be expressive.

Korean etymology :

Proto-Korean: *pjǝ̀rók

Altaic etymology: Altaic etymology

Meaning: flea

Russian meaning: блоха

Modern Korean: pjǝruk

Middle Korean: pjǝ̀rók

Comments: Nam 258, KED 775.

Dravidian etymology :

Proto-Dravidian : *pid_-Vk- (?)

Meaning : a k. of small insect

Nostratic etymology: Nostratic etymology

Proto-South Dravidian: *pĭr_-uku

Proto-Gondi-Kui : *poṛ-k-

Proto-North Dravidian : *putŋ-ī

Notes : The comparison is dubious, as SDR *-r_-, PGn *-ṛ- and PNDR *-t- either suggest a complicated cluster or simply cannot be compared at all.

South Dravidian etymology :

Proto-South Dravidian : *pĭr_-uku

Meaning : mosquito

Dravidian etymology: Dravidian etymology

Malayalam : pir_ukku

Malayalam meaning : gnat, mosquito

Kodagu : purɨkɨ

Kodagu meaning : mosquito

Number in DED : 4203

Gondwan etymology :

Proto-Gondi-Kui : *poṛ-k-

Meaning : louse

Dravidian etymology: Dravidian etymology

Proto-Gondi : *poṛk-i

Gondi etymology :

Proto-Gondi : *poṛk-i

Meaning : louse

Gondwan etymology: Gondwan etymology

Betul Gondi : paṛkī

Mandla Gondi (Williamson) : paṛkī

Mandla Gondi (Phailbus) : paṛkī

Maria Gondi : porki

Seoni Gondi : purki

Koya Gondi : pork (pl. -i), (Su.) porki

Yeotmal Gondi : purki

Chindwara Gondi : paṛkī

Adilabad Gondi : purki

Durg Gondi : poṛki

Number in DED : 4203

Number in CVOTGD : 2419

North Dravidian etymology :

Proto-North-Dravidian : *putŋ-ī

Meaning : midge, fly

Dravidian etymology: Dravidian etymology

Kurukh : putUŋgī, putuŋgī "midge"

Malto : putgi "sand-fly"

Number in DED : 4203

Long-range etymologies :

Borean (approx.) : PVRCV

Meaning : flea

Eurasiatic : *pur_cwV(GV) / *pülcwV(GV)

Afroasiatic : *ṗVrɣVč-

Sino-Caucasian : *ṗaɫVsṭV́ (also NC *bēlǯwi (~-e) )

African (misc.) : Cf. Bantu *-bùduk- 'fly'.

Reference : МССНЯ 331, ОСНЯ 2, 99-100, ND 1714; Guthrie ps. 43.

Afroasiatic etymology :

Proto-Afro-Asiatic: *ṗVrɣVč-

Meaning: flea, grasshopper

Borean etymology: Borean etymology

Semitic: *ṗVrɣVt_- ~ *ṗVrt_Vɣ- 'flea'

Berber: *burɣVs- 'grasshopper'

Central Chadic: *mV-bVrguč- 'louse'

Semitic etymology :

Number: 2502

Proto-Semitic: *ṗVrɣVt_- ~ *ṗVrt_Vɣ-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: flea

Akkadian: peršaʔu (persʔau, perʔāšu, paršaʔu, paršuʔu, puršuʔu) 'Floh' OAkk. on [AHw. 855]. In OAkk. as a proper name only (perʔāšum) which is likely the most archaic variant of this word in Akkadian (note that in later periods only peršaʔum and puršuʔu are known from proper names). Outside onomastic evidence, p. is known from lexical lists (from OB) and a few literary texts.

Eblaitic: pur-ḫa-šúm [MEE 4 116 IV 9]. In a monolingual lexical list among other harmful insects (identified with the present root in [Sjöberg 18]).

Hebrew: parʕōš 'flea' [KB 971], pB. [Ja. 1236]. Known from two closely related passages 1S 24.15 and 26.20 as an expression for self-abasement ( ...ʔaḥărē mī ʔattā rōdēp ʔaḥărē käläb mēt ʔaḥărē parʕōš ʔäḥād '...Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, one single flea!'; ...yāṣā(ʔ) mäläk yiŝrāʔēl lǝbaḳ- ḳēš ʔät-parʕōš ʔäḥād... '...The king of Israel went to look for one single flea!').

Syrian Aramaic: purtaʕnā 'pullex' [Brock. 610], [PS 3315].

Arabic: burɣūt_-

Notes: Arb. burɣūt_- 'puce' [BK 1 113], [Fr. I 110], [Lane 189], [LA II 116] is often compared to the present root which could imply a reconstruction of *ṗ in this root (so already [Grimme 262]). In this connection, of interest is Jud. purṭaʕnā [Levy WTM IV 112] (for a similar variant form in Syr. see [PS 3315]) with an emphatic -ṭ- which may reflect a shift of emphasis from the first consonant. In Arabic cf. also barɣaš(at)- 'moucheron' [BK 1 113], [Fr. I 110], [TA XVII 74], a variant root with unexpected š? [Fron. 297]: *parɣūt_- 'pulce' (Arb., Syr., Hbr., Akk.); [Brock. 610], [KB 971]: Hbr., Akk., Arb., Syr.; [AHw. 855]: Hbr., Akk., Arb., Syr., Arm.; [Firmage 1155]: Akk., Hbr., Ugr. (prɣt, a proper name according to [DLU 354]; moreover, -t is hard to explain), Arm., Arb. (burɣūt_-).

Berber etymology :

Proto-Berber: *burɣVs-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'grasshopper'

Ayr: bǝrwǝḳḳâs 'animaux nuisibles (com. les leons...insectes venimeux, les guèpes)' F 1529

Ahaggar (Tahaggart): bǝrwǝḳḳâs 'animaux nuisibles (com. les leons...insectes venimeux, les guèpes)' F 1529

Adghaq (Tadghaq): bǝrwǝḳḳâs 'animaux nuisibles (com. les leons...insectes venimeux, les guèpes)' F 1529

Seghrushen: burḫs

Rif: a-b_ûrḫs

Central Chadic etymology :

Proto-CChadic: *mV-bVrguč-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'louse'

Mafa=Matakam: ńkišḅér [BMaf]

Daba: mbɨ̀rguč [Kr: 158]

Notes: met. in Mafa

Sino-Caucasian etymology :

Proto-Sino-Caucasian: *ṗaɫVsṭV́

Meaning: a k. of insect

Borean etymology: Borean etymology

North Caucasian: *baɫVc̣V ( ~ -ǝ-)

Burushaski: *phalc̣V

Comments and references : ? Bsq. *bar̄c ~ *par̄c 'nit' (361).

North Caucasian etymology :

Proto-North Caucasian: *baɫVc̣V ( ~ -ǝ-)

Sino-Caucasian etymology: Sino-Caucasian etymology

Meaning: a k. of worm

Proto-Tsezian: *bal(V)c̣o (~-ɔ-,-č̣-)

Proto-Lezghian: *p:alc̣-

Notes: A Tsez-Lezg. isogloss.

Tsezian etymology :

Proto-Tsezian: *bal(V)c̣o (~-ɔ-,-č̣-)

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: a small red worm

Bezhta: balč̣o

Comments: Attested only in Bezht., with a possible Lezg. parallel.

Lezghian etymology :

Proto-Lezghian: *p:alc̣-

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: earthworm

Rutul: barc̣il (Khaidakov)

Comment: Attested only in Rut., but having a probable Bezht. parallel.

Burushaski etymology :

Common Burushaski: *phalc̣V

Sino-Caucasian Etymology: Sino-Caucasian Etymology

Meaning: 1 beetle 2 bug

Hunza: phálc̣o

Nagar: phalc̣í

Comments: Sh. phalc̣ií

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