Flag
/flæɡ/noun
A piece of cloth or other material used as a symbol, signal, or marker.
Did you know?In English, the word flag is linked to the idea of something that flaps or hangs loosely, and its modern sense of a symbol of authority grew out of military and nautical signaling.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bhel-
“to blow, swell, or flash”
Old Norse
ON
flaga
“a slab, piece, or strip”
Middle English
ME
flagge
“a piece of cloth, especially a standard or banner”
16th Century
English
flag
“a banner or ensign used for signaling”
Modern English
English
flag
“a piece of cloth used as a symbol, signal, or marker”