Flanders

Meaning

1. A cultural region in the north of Belgium.
2. Ellipsis of French Flanders: a former province of France.
3. A region of Belgium. Official name: Flemish Region.
4. Ellipsis of Zeelandic Flanders: a region of Zeeland, the Netherlands.
5. A community of Belgium. Official name: Flemish Community.
6. Two provinces in Belgian Flanders, West Flanders and East Flanders.
7. Ellipsis of French Flanders: a region of France.
8. A historical county of Western Europe; in full, County of Flanders.

Etymology / origin

From Middle English Flaunders, Flaundress, flawndirs, from Old French Flandres, from Middle Dutch Vlâendren pl, from Vlander, from Old Frisian, from Proto-Germanic *flaumdrą (“waterlogged land”), from *flaumaz (“flowing, current (water)”) (compare Old High German weraltfloum (“transitoriness of life”), Old Norse flaumr (“eddy”)), from Proto-Indo-European *plow-m- (“flow”) (compare Ancient Greek πλῠ́μα (plŭ́ma, “dishwater, washing water”)). More at flow. "Waterlogged" refers to the mudflats and salt marshes common to coastal Flanders.

Sources

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