harbinger

Meaning

Noun

1. A person or thing that foreshadows or foretells the coming of someone or something.
2. (obsolete) One who provides lodgings; especially, the officer of the English royal household who formerly preceded the court when travelling, to provide and prepare lodgings.

Verb

To announce or precede; to be a harbinger of.

Synonyms

forerunner

herald

omen

portent

precursor

premonition

sign

augury

auspice

presage

foretoken

pioneer

foretell

foreboding

indication

prognostication

messenger

annunciate

predecessor

announce

predictor

prefigure

preview

prognosticate

prophesy

refrain

say

🗣️

show

signify

spell

tell

think

🤔

town crier

utter

vaticinate

trainbearer

previous notice

charging ahead of others

first to charge

scry

fore-runner

symption

ambassador

embrass

augur

clue

comprise

crier

denote

divine

Translations

messaggero

Vorzeichen

Vorbote

precursore

foriero

Omen

heraldo

précurseur

signe avant-coureur

ankündigen

voorbode

annunciare

presagio

présage

presagire

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈhɑːbɪndʒə/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: herberjour

Cognate with French: hébergeur

Cognate with German: Herberge

Cognate with Italian: albergo

Cognate with Dutch: herberg

Cognate with English: harbor

In summary

Originally, a person that is 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, borrow.