flatlander
|flat-land-er|
🇺🇸
/ˈflætˌlændər/
🇬🇧
/ˈflætˌlændə/
person from flat land
Etymology
'flatlander' originates from English, specifically the compound of 'flat' + 'land' with the agentive suffix '-er'. Here 'flat' comes from Old Norse 'flatr' meaning 'flat', and 'land' comes from Old English 'land' meaning 'land'.
'flat' entered Middle English (from Old Norse 'flatr' and related Germanic forms) and became Modern English 'flat'. The compound 'flatland' appeared in Modern English to denote low, level ground, and 'flatlander' was formed by adding the agentive suffix '-er' to mean a person from such land.
Initially it literally meant 'a person from flat land', but over time it has also acquired a figurative sense of 'someone unfamiliar with mountains or highland life'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who lives in flat country or low-lying plains.
A lot of flatlanders move to the coast for farming because the land is level and easier to work.
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Noun 2
(informal, figurative) Someone inexperienced with or unaccustomed to mountains, highland life, or related conditions; by extension, a person considered unsophisticated about a different environment.
The rugged trails surprised the flatlander who had never seen a mountain before.
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Last updated: 2025/10/08 11:51