flotter

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French flotter, from Old French floter (“to float”), from Frankish *flotōn (“to float, swim”), from Proto-Germanic *flutōną (“to float, swim”), from Proto-Indo-European *plew-, *plōw- (“to flow, swim”). Cognate with Middle Dutch vlōten (“to float, swim”), Old English flotian (“to float”), Old Norse flota (“to float, launch”). More at English float.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /flɔ.te/
  • audio(file)

Verb

flotter

  1. (intransitive) to float
  2. to flutter, to wave
  3. (informal) to mill about

Conjugation
Conjugation of flotter (see also Appendix:French verbs)
infinitive simple flotter
compound avoir + past participle
present participle or gerund1 simple flottant
/flɔ.tɑ̃/
compound ayant + past participle
past participle flotté
/flɔ.te/
singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative je (j’) tu il, elle, on nous vous ils, elles
(simple
tenses)		 present flotte
/flɔt/		 flottes
/flɔt/		 flotte
/flɔt/		 flottons
/flɔ.tɔ̃/		 flottez
/flɔ.te/		 flottent
/flɔt/
imperfect flottais
/flɔ.tɛ/		 flottais
/flɔ.tɛ/		 flottait
/flɔ.tɛ/		 flottions
/flɔ.tjɔ̃/		 flottiez
/flɔ.tje/		 flottaient
/flɔ.tɛ/
past historic2 flottai
/flɔ.te/		 flottas
/flɔ.ta/		 flotta
/flɔ.ta/		 flottâmes
/flɔ.tam/		 flottâtes
/flɔ.tat/		 flottèrent
/flɔ.tɛʁ/
future flotterai
/flɔ.tʁe/		 flotteras
/flɔ.tʁa/		 flottera
/flɔ.tʁa/		 flotterons
/flɔ.tʁɔ̃/		 flotterez
/flɔ.tʁe/		 flotteront
/flɔ.tʁɔ̃/
conditional flotterais
/flɔ.tʁɛ/		 flotterais
/flɔ.tʁɛ/		 flotterait
/flɔ.tʁɛ/		 flotterions
/flɔ.tə.ʁjɔ̃/		 flotteriez
/flɔ.tə.ʁje/		 flotteraient
/flɔ.tʁɛ/
(compound
tenses)		 present perfect present indicative of avoir + past participle
pluperfect imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
past anterior2 past historic of avoir + past participle
future perfect future of avoir + past participle
conditional perfect conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive que je (j’) que tu qu’il, qu’elle que nous que vous qu’ils, qu’elles
(simple
tenses)		 present flotte
/flɔt/		 flottes
/flɔt/		 flotte
/flɔt/		 flottions
/flɔ.tjɔ̃/		 flottiez
/flɔ.tje/		 flottent
/flɔt/
imperfect2 flottasse
/flɔ.tas/		 flottasses
/flɔ.tas/		 flottât
/flɔ.ta/		 flottassions
/flɔ.ta.sjɔ̃/		 flottassiez
/flɔ.ta.sje/		 flottassent
/flɔ.tas/
(compound
tenses)		 past present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
pluperfect2 imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative – tu – nous vous –
simple — flotte
/flɔt/		 — flottons
/flɔ.tɔ̃/		 flottez
/flɔ.te/		 —
compound — simple imperative of avoir + past participle — simple imperative of avoir + past participle simple imperative of avoir + past participle —
1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en.
2 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way:
  • past historic → present perfect
  • past anterior → pluperfect
  • imperfect subjunctive → present subjunctive
  • pluperfect subjunctive → past subjunctive

(Christopher Kendris [1995], Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81).

Descendants
  • → Catalan: flotar
  • → Italian: flottare
  • → Spanish: flotar

Further reading

German

Pronunciation
  • Audio(file)

Adjective

flotter

  1. comparative degree of flott

Adjective

flotter

  1. inflection of flott:
    1. strong/mixed nominative masculine singular
    2. strong genitive/dative feminine singular
    3. strong genitive plural

Luxembourgish

Adjective

flotter

  1. feminine dative of flott

Middle French

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old French floter.

Verb

flotter

  1. to float

Conjugation
  • Middle French conjugation varies from one text to another. Hence, the following conjugation should be considered as typical, not as exhaustive.
Conjugation of flotter
infinitive simple flotter
compound avoir + past participle
present participle1 or gerund2 simple flottant
compound present participle or gerund of avoir + past participle
past participle flotté
singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative ie (i’) tu il, elle nous vous ilz, elles
(simple
tenses)		 present flotte flottes flotte flottons flottez flottent
imperfect flottois, flottoys flottois, flottoys flottoit, flottoyt flottions, flottyons flottiez, flottyez flottoient, flottoyent
past historic flotta flottas flotta flottasmes flottastes flotterent
future flotterai, flotteray flotteras flottera flotterons flotterez flotteront
conditional flotterois, flotteroys flotterois, flotteroys flotteroit, flotteroyt flotterions, flotteryons flotteriez, flotteryez flotteroient, flotteroyent
(compound
tenses)		 present perfect present indicative of avoir + past participle
pluperfect imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
past anterior past historic of avoir + past participle
future perfect future of avoir + past participle
conditional perfect conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive que ie (i’) que tu qu’il, qu’elle que nous que vous qu’ilz, qu’elles
(simple
tenses)		 present flotte flottes flotte flottons flottez flottent
imperfect flottasse flottasses flottast flottassions flottassiez flottassent
(compound
tenses)		 past present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
pluperfect imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative – tu – nous vous –
simple — flotte — flottons flottez —
compound — simple imperative of avoir + past participle — simple imperative of avoir + past participle simple imperative of avoir + past participle —
1 The present participle was variable in gender and number until the 17th century (Anne Sancier-Château [1995], Une esthétique nouvelle: Honoré d'Urfé, correcteur de l'Astrée, p. 179). The French Academy would eventually declare it not to be declined in 1679.
2 The gerund was held to be invariable by grammarians of the early 17th century, and was usable with preposition en, as in Modern French, although the preposition was not mandatory (Anne Sancier-Château [1995], op. cit., p. 180).

Descendants
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