flyting
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈflaɪtɪŋ/
- Archaic
- In warrior cultures, boasting can become a contest with elaborate rules, a flyting, as in the encounter between Beowulf and Unferth.
Examples
-
Time and again in King John, antimetabolic language obfuscates and thus throws into doubt what has been made clear, a dramatic fact in the play graphically illustrated during Constance's flyting with Queen Eleanor in Act II.
Academic text (2000) -
As Andy Orchard has pointed out, accusations of fratricide are somewhat "commonplace" in verbal contests like the flyting, so at this point in the poem, "we cannot be sure that Unferth really is... a killer of his kin.
Academic text (2016) -
As Carol Clover has demonstrated, this contest follows the 27;6693;TOOLONG pattern of the Germanic flyting.
Academic text (2016) -
During the medieval banquet, the poets engaged in a lively flyting that had the audience laughing and cheering.
-
The flyting between the two rivals showcased their clever wordplay and quick comebacks.
-
In ancient Scandinavia, flyting was a popular way for warriors to boast about their deeds through sharp and witty insults.
Synonyms
2
8.2
Teasing or insulting someone, often in a friendly way
How Insulting
- Formal
6
8.4
59
4.9
- Offensive
286
1.3
- Archaic
1
9.9
- Offensive
4
5.8
- Offensive
22
2.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
flyting = flyte (opaque) = flyte + ing
The word derives from an archaic/Scots verb for insulting exchanges and refers to a culturally specific poetic practice, so learners cannot reliably infer the meaning from the parts.
Etymology
Flyting comes from an old English word flitan meaning 'to quarrel'. So a flyting was originally a loud contest of words, a 'verbal fight', which is why it now means a contest of witty, insulting remarks.