Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “Piratenflagge” come from?

Piratenflagge (German) comes from German Flagge, 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- — to wander; to fill.

Piratenflagge (German): pirate flag, Jolly Roger

Definitions

  1. pirate flag, Jolly Roger

Ancestry of “Piratenflagge”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanFlaggeflag
2EnglishflagA piece of cloth, often decorated with an emblem,...
3EnglishflackTo flutter; palpitate; To hang loosely; flag; To...
4Middle Englishflackento palpitate, flutter; to move to and fro,...
5Germanflackernto flicker
6Middle High Germanvlackern—
7Proto-Germanicflakurazshaking, wavering
8Proto-Indo-Europeanplāg-—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpelə-to wander; to fill
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pelə- →