flanking
Meaning
Positioned at the side of something.
Attacking or threatening the side of a military formation or position.
Structure
Usage
The castle was protected by flanking towers on each side.
The general ordered the cavalry to begin flanking the enemy's left wing.
He entered the room through a flanking door, unnoticed by the main crowd.
Etymology
The word 'flanking' originates from the military and anatomical term 'flank', which entered English via Old French from a Germanic source, likely Frankish hlanka, meaning 'hip' or 'loin'. This root is thought to derive from the Proto-Indo-European base kleng-, meaning 'to bend, be flexible', linking the physical bend of the body's side to a more general concept of a lateral position. In military strategy, to attack the vulnerable side of an enemy formation became known as 'to flank', a verb from which the present participle 'flanking' is derived, describing either the ongoing action or the positional state of being on the side.
Analysis
flank: From Old French flanc, of Germanic origin (Frankish hlanka), meaning 'hip, side'. It functions as the core root denoting the concept of a side. ing: From Old English -ende, a suffix forming present participles and adjectives from verbs, indicating an action in progress or a resulting state.