harbinger
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harbinger
- /ˈhɑːbɪndʒə/ UK
- /ˈhɑɹ.bɪn.d͡ʒəɹ/ US
Where it comes from
Originally, a person sent in advance to arrange lodgings. From Middle English herberjour, herbergeour, from Old French herbergeor (French hébergeur), from herbergier (“to set up camp; to shelter; to take shelter”) + -or (suffix forming agent nouns), from Old High German heribergan, ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *harjabergu (“army camp, shelter”). Compare German Herberge, Italian albergo, Dutch herberg, English harbor. More at here, bury.
noun harbingers
-
A person or thing that foreshadows or foretells the coming of someone or something.
harbinger of danger; harbinger of doom; harbinger of spring
Similar: forewarning, herald, omen, premonition, sign, signal, prophet, precursor
- One who provides lodgings; especially, the officer of the English royal household who formerly preceded the court when travelling, to provide and prepare lodgings. outward decency […] is the Harbinger to provide the lodging for inward holinesse
verb harbingers · harbingering · harbingered
-
To announce or precede; to be a harbinger of.
It was harbingered also by the terrible comet of January, which appeared in a cadent and obscure house, denoting sickness and death; […]
Similar: herald
Translations
Every language
noun that which foretells the coming of something
| Español | anunciador, anunciante, heraldo, presagio |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 선구자 seon'guja, 전조 jeonjo |
| 日本語 | 前触れ maebure |
| 中文 | 預兆 /预兆 yùzhào |
| Português | arauto, presságio |
| Français | présage |
| Deutsch | Vorbote, Omen, Vorzeichen |
| Italiano | messaggero, araldo, presagio, precursore, foriero, profeta |
| Ελληνικά | προάγγελος proángelos, πρόδρομος pródromos |
| Русский | провозве́стник provozvéstnik, предве́стник predvéstnik |
| Tiếng Việt | điềm báo, dấu hiệu |
verb to announce
| Español | anunciar |
|---|---|
| Français | annoncer, présager |
| Deutsch | ankündigen |
| Italiano | annunciare, presagire, premonire, profetizzare |
| Ελληνικά | προαναγγέλλω proanangéllo |
| Русский | предвеща́ть predveščátʹ |
Talk about this word "harbinger." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/harbinger. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. harbinger. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/harbinger "harbinger." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/harbinger.Cite this
@misc{harbinger_2026,
title = {harbinger},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/harbinger},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
