pennon

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*peth₂-“to spread out; to fly (in the sense of spreading out wings)”
2. Latin · derived frompenna“feather (especially a flight feather), pinion; wing”
3. Old French · derived frompenon“flag attached to a lance”
4. Middle French · derived frompennon
5. Anglo-Norman · derived frompenun“feather of an arrow”
6. Middle English · inherited frompennon
7. English todaypennon

From Late Middle English pennon, penoun (“long narrow flag attached to a lance or used in other contexts; one who bears a pennon, knight bachelor; plume of feathers; strip around the edge of a shield”), from Anglo-Norman penun (“feather of an arrow”), penoun (“flag attached to a lance”), Middle French pennon, penoun, and Old French penon (“flag attached to a lance”) (modern French pennon), from penne (“feather; wing”) + -on (diminutive suffix). Penne is inherited from Latin penna (“feather (especially a flight feather), pinion; wing”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- (“to spread out; to fly (in the sense of spreading out wings)”).

Words from the same roots