Wordwyrt

harbinger

/ˈhɑːbɪndʒə/HAHR-bin-jur
/ˈhɑɹbɪndʒɚ/HAHR-bin-jur

Meaninga lodging, harbour

Common meaning: a sign of something to come

Journey through time

  1. Old High Germanhereberga‘a lodging, harbour’source
  2. Old Frenchmeaning shiftsa lodging, harbour → person arranging lodgingsherbergeour‘person arranging lodgings’source
  3. Middle Englishherbergeour‘person sent ahead to arrange lodgings’source
  4. Englishmeaning shiftsperson sent ahead to arrange lodgings → a sign of something to comeharbinger‘a sign of something to come’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Old High German hereberga ‘a lodging, harbour’.

Roots

  • hereberga Old High German “a lodging, harbour”

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