NK - Cool Word: gonfalon

Susan O'Neal shamrock at intcon.net
Thu Feb 24 09:05:14 PST 2000


Got this today and thought you all might enjoy it.
Susan

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  The Learning Kingdom's Cool Word of the Day for February 24, 2000
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                      gonfalon [n. GON-fuh-lon]

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A gonfalon is a flag, but only if it is suspended from a horizontal
bar rather than a vertical mast.  Most gonfalons are seen at the
heads of religious or military processions.  Sometimes a gonfalon's
cross-shaped support is held by a person called a gonfalonier [n.
GON-fuh-luh-NYIR].

The first gonfalons were displayed in medieval Italy as part of
religious observances.  The Italian word was gonfalone, from the
Germanic compound gund-fanon (battle flag).  The first part of that
came from gundjo (war, battle), which also was the source of English
gun by way of Old Norse gunnr (war).

Behind all of these words was the ancient root gwhen (to kill;
strike).  The same root also led to other words related to war,
destruction, or threat.  These include bane, German Bahn (road;
originally, a road forcefully hacked through the woods), defend,
fence, and offend.


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