fanion

[prettygoodword]

fanion (FAN-yuhn) - n., a small flag used by surveyors to mark a position.


Originally used by military scouts. Also apparently used for a safety flag mounted on a bike, as I learned while looking for a picture for this post. Taken around 1700 from French, where it's a diminutive of fanon, a pennon (and used in modern French for any kind of small pennon or pennant), from Old French form fanum, from conjectural Old Low Franconian *fano, piece of fabric.

---L.

Comments

[thistleingrey]

"Fanon" appears in OF, too, at least the insular kind: "gunfanun" and "gunfanon" are in manuscripts I've looked at, to mean a banner, more or less. And yes, it's one of those precious words that we can attest on both sides of the Strasbourg (Straßburg) Oaths, which I find pretty cool.

[prettygoodword]

Coo.