Etymology

Of uncertain or disputed origin; possibly from Latin flātūrālis (adj.) ‘blowing’, from flātūra ‘act of blowing’. Other theories suggest a Vulgar Latin root *flibula, from fibula (compare sense of flute in Latin tibia), or a derivative of the related verb fluiera, or a substratum word. Alternatively, it may be of originally imitative origin. Compare Daco-Romanian fluier (dialectal variant fluieră), and Albanian flojere, which was borrowed from it.