Plains
/pleɪnz/noun
Large areas of flat or gently rolling land with few trees.
Did you know?“Plain” and “plane” ultimately trace back to a root meaning “flat,” which is why the same ancient idea of levelness also lives in words like “plan,” “flan,” and “exploit” through later Latin branches.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pleh₂-
“to spread out, flatten”
Latin
LA
planus
“flat, level, even”
Late Latin
LL
plana
“a flat surface or level place”
Old French
OF
plain
“flat land; level ground”
Middle English
ME
plaine
“a level stretch of land”
Modern English
EN
plains
“large areas of flat land”