738: Fillip Dec 15, 2016

The onset 'fli' has in many words like 'flick' is used imitatively to demonstrate rapid motion (see more  here). This is believed by psycho-linguists to be quick release of the speaker's curled tongue. The word 'fillip' is yet another example of this, first having the meaning of flicking one's finger, but it soon took on the meaning of acting as a stimulus or giving something energy, and moved slightly away from the theme of the other words that follow this same pattern.

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