- NAILS (or NAILING)
- 1) (n) One means by which a colour or parade flag is sometimes fixed often by a precisely regulated number of nails -
to its staff (see also colour 2), colours 2),
parade flag, sleeve, tab and
ties).
- 2) (adj) The act, sometimes ceremonial, of attaching a colour or parade flag to is its staff by nails.
Please note that the term nailing ones colours to the mast (as a metaphor for taking an irrevocable action)
does not relate to the above, but based on the idea of a ships ensign being literally nailed to the mast before or during battle thus making it
impossible to strike (or lower) it in surrender.
- NAME PENNANT
- The term for a flag or pennant that bears the name of a ship or possibly
a shipping company or an institution an
onamast.
![[name pennant John Gibson]](../images/v/vxt-d222.gif)
The John Gibson, Barque, Nova Scotia, 1875 (fotw)
Please note that the (often unofficial) practice
of flying such a flag or pennant aboard ship began in the 19th Century, and could
now be largely (but certainly not entirely) obsolete? Please note also however,
that the practice of displaying a name pennant is continued by some universities
in the US - particularly at sporting venues (see also
institutional flags (unofficial)
and sports flag 2)).
- NARROW PENNANT
- See masthead pendant.
- NATIONAL ARMS (or COAT OF ARMS)
See state arms under arms.
- NATIONAL BANNER
- See banner 5).
- NATIONAL COLOUR (or COLOR)
- 1) See colour 2).
- 2) Where only one colour is selected (generally one appearing on the flag)
to be the national colour, as in for example the Rhododendron Red of
Nepal.
- NATIONAL COLOURS (or COLORS)
- 1) A plural form of colour 2).
- 2) Usually the two or three principal colours of a national flag - for example,
the red, white and blue of France and the US, or the red and white of Poland (see
also cockade,
livery colours and
roundel 1)).
Please note with regard to 2) that the colours concerned need not necessarily be those of the relevant national flag,
as in for example, the Australian national sporting colours of green and gold.
- NATIONAL FLAG
- 1) A flag that represents an independent state, especially a nation-state.
- 2) A flag of a formerly independent state or of a non-independent national
group (see also tribal flag)
- 3) That flag which is generally thought of as representing a state when specific
circumstances of display are not considered for example, some flag books might give
a plain tricolour with stars as the national flag of Venezuela, whilst others may
show the flag with arms as illustrated below (see also tricolour 1)).
Flags With and Without Arms, Venezuela (fotw)
Please note that in some countries the national
flag is available for use by all citizens. In other countries, however, the national
flag is restricted to official use by law or custom, with a variant of it as a
civil flag for use by private citizens. Please note also, that the national flag
may have other variants with specific uses on land and/or sea, and that these
are herein listed separately according to type (see also those flags listed under
ensign, as well as
civil flag, jack,
state flag and
war flag).
- NATIONAL ORNAMENT
- A decorative strip (usually placed along he hoist of a flag) intended to represent
a folk or traditional element of national culture, and particularly prevalent
among Eastern Slavic and Siberian states such as Byelorussia and Kazakhstan.
![[Kazakhstan showing national ornament]](../images/v/vxt-d223.gif)
National Flag of Kazakhstan (fotw)
- NATIONAL SYMBOLS
- Those things, often established by law, which have been adopted as being symbolic
of a country, these may include the national flag, national coat of arms or emblem,
the national colours, the national anthem and possibly a plant, an animal and/or
a bird.
- NATIONALLY-CANTONED FLAG
- See canton flag.
- NAVAL CROWN
- A crown generally (but not exclusively) formed from the sterns and square
sails of ships placed upon a circle or fillet, and loosely based on an ancient
Roman triumphal ornament of the same name (see also
civic crown,
crown and
mural crown).
![[Naval crowns]](../images/v/vxt-d225.gif)
From left: UK (Parker), Italy (fotw)
- NAVAL ENSIGN
- See under ensign.
- NAVY FLAG
- See branch of service flag
(also armed services flag).
- NOBOBI
- See daimo flags
- NORDIC CROSS
- See Scandinavian cross.
- NORTH-SOUTH DIAGONAL
- A diagonal stripe that runs from the upper hoist to the lower fly, and whose
corners touch the corners of the flag but whose width is entirely contained within
the length of the flag an enhanced bend. See bend in
Appendix VI (also
ascending diagonal,
descending diagonal,
east-west diagonal,
south-north diagonal, and
west-east diagonal).
![[North-South diagonal - Trinidad and Tobago]](../images/v/vxt-d227.gif)
National Flag of Trinidad and Tobago (fotw)
- NUMBER FLAG
- See 'insurance flag'.
- NUMERAL FLAG
- Any one of a set of straight-sided flags of simple design representing the
numerals zero to nine, and used in some naval flag signal codes (see also
'numeral pennant' and
signal flag).
- NUMERAL PENNANT
- Any one of a set of tapered square-ended pennants of simple design representing
the numerals zero to nine, and used in the International Code of Signal flags
as well as some naval flag signal codes (see also
International Code of Signal Flags,
'numeral flag' and
signal flag).
