- Afrikaans:
- VLAG, pl. VLAE
- Vaandel, pl. VAANDELS (ensign)
- BANIER, pl. BANIERE (banner)
- Akan (dialects: Assante, Twi, Fante):
- FRANKAA
- Arabic:
- 'ALAM, LIWA', RAYAH, BANDERA
- Auapem Twi:
- FRANKAA
- Albanian:
- FLAMUR
- Basque:
- IKURRINA; BANDERA
- Belarusian:
- FLAG
- Bresciano:
- BANDÉ:RA, PANTAFLANA
- Breton:
- BANNIEL
- Bulgarian:
- ZNAME, FLAG, BAJRAK (slang)
- Calabrese:
- BANNÈRA
- Cebuano:
- BANDERA
- Cherokee
- GADATI
- Chinese:
- QI (pronounced chi)
- HUNG-QI = red flag
- Cinyanja:
- MBENDERA
- Calo:
- NAGIRA
- Catalan:
- BANDERA
- Cornish:
- BANER
- Corsican:
- BANDIERA
- Croatian:
- ZASTAVA, BARJAK, STIJEG; PLAMENAC
- Czech:
- VLAJKA, (PRAPOR = banner)
- Dutch (Flemish):
- FLAG
- Dutch:
- VLAG, pl. VLAGGEN
- Esperanto:
- FLAGO, pl. FLAGOJ; STANDARDO
- Estonian:
- LIPP
- Farsi:
- PARCHAM, BEYRAQ
- Fante:
- FRANKAA
- Finnish:
- LIPPU
- French:
- DRAPEAU, PAVILLON
- Frisian (second official language in the Dutch province of Friesland):
- FLAGGE, FLAGE
- Galician
- BANDIERA
- German:
- FLAGGE, pl. FLAGGEN, FAHNE
- Greek:
- SHMAIA (pronounced: Simea)
- Greek (ancient):
- SÛMEION
- Greek (Byzantine):
- BANDON
- Guarani:
- POYVI
- Hebrew:
- DEGEL, NES (meaning also miracle)
- Hindi:
- JHANDA,; JHANDI (small flag)
- Hmong:
- CHIJ
- Hungarian:
- ZÁSZLÓ
- Icelandic:
- FÍ:NI
- Indonesian:
- BENDERA (probably influenced by Portuguese)
- Irish:
- BRATACH
- MÉIRGE = standard (pl. MÉIRGI)
- siXhoso
- IFLEGI
- Italian:
- BANDIERA
- Japanese:
- HATA
- KOKKI = national flag
- GUNKI = military flag
- KOUSHITSUKI = royal flag
- Jerrriais
- COULEU
- Klingon:
- JoqwÍ LAGH
- Kurdish KUrmanji:
- AL
- Latin:
- VEXILLUM, SIGNUM
- Latvian:
- KAROGS (emphasis on first "a" - kArogs)
- Lithuanian:
- VELIAVA
- Malay:
- BENDERA (probably influenced by Portuguese)
- Maltese:
- BANDIERA
- Maori:
- HAKI
- Mongolian:
- DALBAA
- Mudnés:
- BANDIEgrave;RA
- Neopoligan:
- BANDERA
- Norwegian:
- FLAGG
- Piedmontese:
- DRAPO
- Polish:
- FLAGA, PROPORZEC
- Portuguese:
- BANDEIRA, ESTANDARTE
- Putenzese:
- BANNERA
- Quechuan:
- WIPHAL
- Quenya Elvish:
- AMBAL (shaped stone)
- Romagnolo
- BANDÉ:RA
- Romanian:
- STEAG, STINDARD, STEAG
- Romansch:
- BANDIERA
- Russian:
- FLAG, (ZNAM'YA = banner), STYAG
- Sami:
- FLÁDAN FLAGG; LEAVGA;
- Sardinian Camdanesu:
- BANDERA, PANDERA
- Sardinian Logudoresu:
- BANDELA, PANDELA, BANDERA
- Serbian:
- Z&Acute;STAVA, VLAJKA
- Sicilian:
- BANNERA
- Slovenian:
- ZASTAVA
- Sotho
- FOLANGA - long o and ch sound on the g (North Sotho and West Sotho); Folakga
(South Sotho)
- Swedish:
- FLAGGA
- Spanish:
- BANDERA
- Swahili:
- BENDERA
- Tagalog:
- BANDILbÀ, BANDERA, WATAWAT
- Tahitian:
- REVA
- Turkish:
- BAYRAK; SANÇ:AK
- Turkmen:
- BAYDAK
- Ukranian:
- PRAPOR
- Urdu:
- JANDA, PARCHAM
- Valencian:
- BANDERA, SENYERA
- Venetian:
- BANDIERA
- Vietnamese:
- CO
- Wallon
- DRAPEA
- Welsh:
- BANER, FFLAG; LLECH
- Yoruba:
- ÀṢÍÁ
- Zulu:
- IDUKU, AMADUKU, IFULAGI
compiled from several contributors
New Zealand Maori uses two words
- kara (which is a derivative of "Colour") and
- haki (which is a derivative of "Jack").
L and J are not represented in the Maori alphabet, hence the substitution.
Although there is one tantalizing reference from the journal of Abel Tasman (1642)
to the pre-European use of flags by the Maori, the pre-European Maori word for
flag (if there was one) does not seem to have survived.
Stuart Park, 23 January 1996
The French word "PAVILLON(S)" is the same (theoretically) as the English "ENSIGN".
Pavillon is only used now to name a flag displayed on a boat at sea. However in
the past, pavillon was more used than drapeau and was the name for all the flags.
When it was an ensign, we said "pavillon en mer" or "pavillon de commerce".
Other words:
- bannière (not used now to name a flag, we use it more to say that "we put
us under the bannière of a party". It was the middle-ages word for flag in France.
- couleurs (same as colors): les couleurs de la France sont bleu-blanc-rouge.
- pavillon de beaupré is the word for jack. I think the word "beaupré" is
coming from german "Bugspriet".
- étendard (standard) is rarely said and means in France more a sort of flag
(middle-ages) than the personal flag of a head of state.
- gonfalon/gonfanon is the word for church flags which hang vertically and
have cut stripes at the bottom. (see Venice).
I advise you to have a look in the Yearbook of the French "
Encyclopaedia Universalis".
At the end of the book, there are flags and a glossary with many useful words
which can complete what I just said.
At the beginning of the glossary of W. Smith's book (at least in the French version),
there is an explanation by the translator who says that the same word doesn't
mean the same in different language. Have a look at that too. I think it could
be interesting to have all the different version of Smith's book (English, French,
German, Spanish...) to complete the research.
Pascal Vagnat, 23 January 1996
