gonfalon

noun

gon·​fa·​lon ˈgän-fə-ˌlän 

-lən

1

: the ensign of certain princes or states (such as the medieval republics of Italy)

2

: a flag that hangs from a crosspiece or frame

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Italian gonfalone, dissimilated from gonfanone, borrowed from Old French gunfanun, gonfanon "battle standard, banner," going back to Old Low Franconian *gundfanōn, going back to Germanic *gunþfanōn (whence also Old English gūþfana "battle standard, banner," Old Saxon gūthfano, Old High German gundfano, Old Icelandic gunnfani), from *gunþī, gunþjō "battle, combat" + *fanōn "piece of cloth" — more at defend, vane

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined at sense 1