Where does “flag-waving” come from?

flag-waving (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-waving (English): Highly vocal and visible support given to a cause

Definitions

  1. Highly vocal and visible support given to a cause

Ancestry of “flag-waving”, step by step

flag-waving traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English flag

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishflagA piece of cloth, often decorated with an emblem,...
2EnglishflackTo flutter; palpitate; To hang loosely; flag; To...
3Middle Englishflackento palpitate, flutter; to move to and fro,...
4Germanflackernto flicker
5Middle High Germanvlackern
6Proto-Germanicflakurazshaking, wavering
7Proto-Indo-Europeanplāg-
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpelə-to wander; to fill

via English waving

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishwavingpresent participle of wave; The motion of...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pelə-Every word from Proto-Indo-European plāg-Every word from Proto-Germanic flakuraz