n. tribal elder, ruler or father; any venerable ancient man; Roman Catholic, bishop; metropolitan; bishop next below pope in rank. patriarchate, n. office of patriach. patriarchal, a.patriarchy, n. social system marked by supremacy of father and male line.
Red and white are the colours of Bohemia, dating back to the 13th century. Blue represents Moravia. Unlike that of the Slovak Republic, the Czech flag is not based on the pan-Slav colours. Effective date: 1 January 1993.