The Story of Canada's Flag

APPENDIX C

Glossary of Words and Phrases

Achievement - a coat of arms with all its adjuncts.

Argent - silver or white in colour.

Armorial - pertaining to heraldic arms.

Azure - blue in colour.

Canton - square division less than a quarter in the upper corner of the shield. In heraldic terms it is called a sub-ordinary and is nearly always borne in the upper right or dexter side of the shield.

Charge - any device placed on a shield.

Chief - the head or top portion of the shield.

Conjoined - joined together.

Crest - the device worn on the skull or top of the helmet in a coat of arms. It is a term frequently but mistakenly used to designate the coat of arms itself.

Dragon - a heraldic monster.

Emblazoned - adorned with heraldic devices. It is a also used to indicate conspicuous display.

Emblem - a heraldic device or symbol.

Escutcheon - a shield with armorial bearings.

Field - the surface of a shield or flag.

Fly - the part of the flag furthest from the staff or halyard.

Fleur-de-Lis - heraldic lily.

Fimbriated - edged with.

Guardant - head or face of animal to the front-full faced.

Gules - red in colour.

Halyard - rope or tackle to which a flag is attached and by which it is raised or lowered.

Impale - to combine two coats of arms by placing them side by side on a single shield.

Lack - a ship's flag usually smaller than an ensign.

Leopards - heraldic beasts. The lions of England were formerly called leopards.

Lymphad - heraldic ship.

Mantling - part of the achievement. Originally a silken mantle hung from the crest to keep the heat of the sun from the back of the armour.

Pale - a vertical band occupying the centre third of the shield. Its diminutives are the pallet and the endorse. These are, respectively a half and a quarter of the width of the pole.

Passant - animal standing with one front paw raised.

Quarter - a section of a subdivided shield. It may be one fourth of the size of the shield or a further subdivision thereof.

Quartering - a quarter which has been charged with arms.

Rampant - rearing on hind legs with one foot off the ground.

Roundel - a flat circular disk or medallion. In heraldic terms it is one of the sub-ordinaries orcharges on a shield.

Sable - black in colour.

Saltire - a cross after the fashion of St. Andrew's Cross. In heraldic terms it is called an ordinary.

Staff - shaft or pole supporting a flag.

Supporters - human figures, animals, birds or monsters, placed on either side of the shield as if supporting it.

Wreath - a round rope-like circle of twisted cloth of two colours fitting over the dome of the helmet. The colours are the same as those of the mantling.

A Mari Usque Ad Mare - from sea to sea. This is Canada's motto.

Ancien Regime - the old regime or French period in Canadian history.

Avant! Association des Fils de la Liberte Forward! - Association of the Sons of Liberty.

Drapeau. du Sacre-Coeur - flag of the Sacred Heart.

Estandart Franqois - French standard.

Feuilles d'Erable - maple leaves.

Francia in Novo Orbe Victrix - France victorious in the new world.

Grand' Banniere de France - great banner (or flag) of France.

Ligue du Drapeau National - League for a national flag.

St. Jean Baptiste - St. John the Baptist, French Canada's patron saint.

Wear a flag - a naval term meaning to carry or fly a flag.

| APPENDIX B | Back to Contents | APPENDIX D |