{{Short description|Study of flags}} {{For|the Deadmau5 album|Vexillology (deadmau5 album)}} {{Use American English|date=October 2023}} [[File:Flag of FIAV.svg|thumb|220px|alt=A blue flag depicting a knot tied in yellow.|The flag of the International Federation of Vexillological Associations depicts a sheet bend.]]
'''Vexillology''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|v|ɛ|k|s|ɪ|ˈ|l|ɒ|l|ə|dʒ|i}} {{respell|VEK|sih|LOL|ə|jee}}) is the study of the history, symbolism and usage of flags or, by extension, any interest in flags in general.<ref name="WSbook">Smith, Whitney. ''Flags Through the Ages and Across the World'' New York: McGraw-Hill, 1975. Print.</ref>
A person who studies flags is called a vexillologist, a person who designs flags is a vexillographer, and the art of designing flags is called vexillography. A hobbyist or general admirer of flags is called a vexillophile.
==Etymology== The word vexillology is a synthesis of the Latin word {{lang|la|vexillum}} (a kind of square flag which was carried by Roman cavalry)<ref>{{cite web |title=Vexillum |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vexillum |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200916222219/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vexillum |archive-date=16 September 2020 |access-date=15 September 2020 |website=Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary}}</ref> and the Greek suffix {{Transliteration|grc|-logia}} ("study").<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vexillology |url=https://www.dictionary.com/browse/vexillology |access-date=2024-02-22 |website=Dictionary.com |language=en}}</ref>
==History== American scholar Whitney Smith is acknowledged for conceiving "vexillology" in 1957. He wrote, "While the use of flags goes back to the earliest days of human civilization, the study of that usage in a serious fashion is so recent that the term for it did not appear in print until 1959."<ref>{{cite web |title=Vexillology |url=http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/vxt-vex.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161024040950/http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/vxt-vex.html |archive-date=2016-10-24 |access-date=2017-11-03 |publisher=CRW Flags }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Vexillology |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vexillology |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200917022839/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vexillology |archive-date=17 September 2020 |access-date=15 September 2020 |website=Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary}}</ref> Before this time, the study of flags was generally considered a part of heraldry, the study of armorial bearings.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fox-Davies |first=Arthur Charles |url=https://archive.org/details/completeguidetoh00foxdrich |title=A Complete Guide to Heraldry |publisher=T.C. & E.C. Jack |year=1909 |isbn=9781602390010 |location=London, Edinburgh |page=1 |oclc=913797670}}</ref>
Vexillology was formalized by American scholar Whitney Smith in 1961 with the publication of ''The Flag Bulletin''.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Consider Vexillology |url=https://semioticon.com/semiotix/2013/05/consider-vexillology/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401212707/https://semioticon.com/semiotix/2013/05/consider-vexillology/ |archive-date=2018-04-01 |access-date=2018-04-01 |website=semioticon.com – SemiotiX}}</ref> During his lifetime, Smith organized various flag organizations and meetings including the first International Congress of Vexillology (ICV), the North American Vexillological Association, and the International Federation of Vexillological Associations (FIAV).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Vulliamy |first1=Elsa |date=December 15, 2015 |title=Which flag is it? Take our quiz to find out |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/puzzles-and-games/quizzes/can-you-recognise-these-flags-a6774121.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=March 13, 2016 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220817/https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/puzzles-and-games/quizzes/can-you-recognise-these-flags-a6774121.html |archive-date=2022-08-17}}</ref>
Vexillology involves academic work in sociology, history, or design. It also includes contributions from the flag industry and interest from those passionate about flags. The ICV and local vexillological meetings often cover a wide range of interests in flags. Since 1969, an International Congress of Vexillology meeting has been organized every two years under the auspices of FIAV; papers presented at an ICV are published afterwards as the Congress's ''Proceedings''.<ref name=":0" />
==Vexillological organizations== The International Federation of Vexillological Associations (FIAV) is vexillology's international umbrella organization. Notable constituent organizations include the North American Vexillological Association, {{lang|de|{{ill|German Vexillological Association|lt=Deutsche Gesellschaft für Flaggenkunde|de|Deutsche Gesellschaft für Flaggenkunde}}}} (German Society for Flag Studies), and Flags of the World (FOTW).<ref name="current">{{cite web |date=2022-10-16 |title=Current Members |url=https://fiav.org/current-members/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418151221/https://fiav.org/current-members/ |archive-date=2021-04-18 |access-date=2023-02-17 |publisher=International Federation of Vexillological Associations}}</ref>
All Scottish flags must, by law, be authorised by Lord Lyon for recording in the 'Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland' and he appointed Philip Tibbetts from the UK Flag Institute to the newly created role of Honorary Vexillologist to the Court of the Lord Lyon.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-45005157 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180730160015/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-45005157 | url-status=live | archive-date=July 30, 2018 | title=New Flag Expert Appointed for Scotland | work=BBC News | date=30 July 2018 }}</ref>
==See also== {{Portal|Heraldry and Vexillology}} * Glossary of vexillology * List of flags by design * List of national flags by design * List of vexillologists * Vexilloid * Vexillological symbol
==References== {{reflist}}
==Further reading== * Leepson, Marc. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=qqjzyyZjYTEC Flag: An American Biography]''. New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2005. {{ISBN|0312323093}}. * Marshall, Tim. ''A Flag Worth Dying For: The Power and Politics of Flag''. 2016. {{ISBN|1501168347}}.
==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{official website|https://fiav.org/}} of the International Federation of Vexillological Associations
{{Vexillology}} {{Heraldry}} {{Phaleristics}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Vexillology