Gonfalon
Pronunciation : Gon"fa*lon, Gon"fa*non
Part of Speech : n.
Etymology : [OE. gonfanoun, OF. gonfanon, F. gonfalon, the same word as F. confalon, name of a religious brotherhood, fr. OHG. gundfano war flag; gund war (used in comp., and akin to AS. gu\'eb) + fano cloth, flag; akin to E. vane; cf. AS. gu\'ebfana. See Vane, and c
Definition : 1. The ensign or standard in use by certain princes or states, such as the medi?val republics of Italy, and in more recent times by the pope.
2. A name popularly given to any flag which hangs from a crosspiece or frame instead of from the staff or the mast itself. Standards and gonfalons, 'twixt van and rear, Stream in the air. Milton.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913