Where does “flag-waver” come from?
flag-waver (English) comes from English flag, from English flack, from Middle English flacken, from German flackern, from Middle High German vlackern, from Proto-Germanic flakuraz, from Proto-Indo-European plāg-, from Proto-Indo-European pelə- — to wander; to fill.
flag-waver (English): A highly vocal and visible supporter of a cause
Definitions
- A highly vocal and visible supporter of a cause
Ancestry of “flag-waver”, step by step
flag-waver traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English flag
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | flag | A piece of cloth, often decorated with an emblem,... |
| 2 | English | flack | To flutter; palpitate; To hang loosely; flag; To... |
| 3 | Middle English | flacken | to palpitate, flutter; to move to and fro,... |
| 4 | German | flackern | to flicker |
| 5 | Middle High German | vlackern | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | flakuraz | shaking, wavering |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | plāg- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pelə- | to wander; to fill |
via English waver
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | waver | To sway back and forth; to totter or reel; To... |
| 2 | English | wave | To move back and forth repeatedly and somewhat... |
| 3 | Middle English | wawe | A wave; Any sort of flowing or spurting motion;... |
| 4 | Old English | wǣġ | a weight; a tool for weighing, balance, scale |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wēgaz | wave; sea |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | weǵʰ- | to bring; to transport |