standard

昨日は祝日でしたが東京でも初雪が降り外出するには大変でした。しかし今日は朝から晴れていて出勤には問題ありません。私が今勤めている会社は特殊な測定器の他に、標準抵抗、標準キャパシターとか標準塩水などを取り扱っていて、その様な標準器や標準サンプルは皆 "standard" ですが、The Chronicles of Narniaの次に示す文に標準の意味ではない "standard" が出て来ました。
There was also a unicorn, and a bull with the head of a man, and a pelican, and an eagle, and a great Dog. And next to Aslan stood two leopards of whom one carried his crown and the other his standard.
辞書で "standard" を調べます。
・Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary:
1: a conspicuous object (as a banner) formerly carried at the top of a pole and used to mark a rallying point especially in battle or to serve as an emblem
2a : a long narrow tapering flag that is personal to an individual or corporation and bears heraldic devices b : the personal flag of the head of a state or of a member of a royal family c : an organization flag carried by a mounted or motorized military unit
・Collins Dictionary:
4.any distinctive flag, device, etc, as of a nation, sovereign, or special cause
5. a.any of a variety of naval or military flags; b.the colours of a cavalry regiment
6.a flag or emblem formerly used to show the central or rallying point of an army in battle
7.a large tapering flag ending in two points, originally borne by a sovereign or high-ranking noble
なるほど、そうなるとこの旗の意味の方が標準や基準より前にあった意味の気がします。語源辞典も見てみます。
Etymology.com: mid-12c., "flag or other conspicuous object to serve as a rallying point for a military force," from O.Fr. estandart, probably from Frankish *standhard, lit. "stand fast or firm," a compound of words similar to Gothic standan "to stand" (see stand) and hardus "hard" (see hard). So called because the flag was fixed to a pole or spear and stuck in the ground to stand upright.
The other theory connects the Old French word to estendre "to stretch out," from L. extendere (see extend). Meaning "unit of measure" is early 14c., from Anglo-French, where it was used 13c., and is perhaps metaphoric, the royal standard coming to stand for royal authority in matters like setting weights and measures. Hence the meaning "authoritative or recognized exemplar of quality or correctness" (late 15c.).
やはりそうでしたね。私はどちらかと言うとシンボルの旗などどうでもいいと考える方ですが、シンボルは大事なのですね。米国は国旗や国歌を大事に扱いますが、日本ももう少し国旗や国歌を大事にする必要があるのかな。でも君が世は歌詞もメロディーも余り好きになれません。