The (unofficial flag) of the Scilly Isles was adoped on 22nd of February in 2002. It shows a horizontally between orange and blue divided bunting with a on it lying down white cross, its ends reach to the border of the flag. In the upper quadrant of the flying end of the flag are situated five white five-pointed stars. They symbolize the archipelago. They are therefore only five stars, because only five of the 140 islands are inhabited. The white cross has its roots probably in the neighbouring Cornwall.
In Roman times the islands were called "Silumnus" or "Silimnis", the full Latin name of the islands is "Insulae Silurum". All other names for the island, including those in foreign languages, are derived from this. They are called "Sorlingische Inseln" in German, "Sorlings" in Dutch, and "Sorlingues" in French. In the Cornish language they are called "Ynysek Syllan", which later became simply "Silly". In the English language there was a problem with that, because the adjective "silly" means "daft", "stupid" or "dumb". And so the letter C was added to the name in English name in the 17th century.
