Gonfanon

/ˈɡɒnfænɑːn/ noun

Definition

A variant or archaic spelling of gonfalon; a flag or banner, especially used as a military standard.

Etymology

An older English spelling variant of gonfalon, showing an alternate form that appeared in historical texts. Like many medieval loanwords, English spelling wasn't standardized, so the same word appeared in multiple forms.

Kelly Says

English spelling in the medieval period was wild—the same Italian word might be spelled gonfalon, gonfanon, gonfalone, or gonfanoune depending on who was writing and which dialect they spoke, making old manuscripts like playing spelling bee with history.

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