Where does “flagship” come from?
flagship (English) comes from English ship, from English relationship, from English relation, from Middle English relacion, from Old French relacion, from Latin relātiō, from Latin referō, from Latin rĕ- — passed , crossed.
flagship (English): The ship occupied by the fleet's commander (usually an admiral); it denotes this by flying his flag
Definitions
- The ship occupied by the fleet's commander (usually an admiral); it denotes this by flying his flag
Ancestry of “flagship”, step by step
flagship traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English ship
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ship | A water-borne vessel generally larger than a... |
| 2 | English | relationship | Connection or association; the condition of being... |
| 3 | English | relation | The manner in which two things may be associated;... |
| 4 | Middle English | relacion | — |
| 5 | Old French | relacion | — |
| 6 | Latin | relātiō | carrying or bringing back |
| 7 | Latin | referō | to bear, bring, drive, or carry back, off, or away |
| 8 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 9 | Latin | prōdūcō | to lead or bring forth, forward or out |
| 10 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 11 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 15 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
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 |