Word of the Day: HARBINGER
A sign of things to come
harbinger (noun) - someone or something that foreshadows an event or signals the approach of another; a forerunner or precursor
harbinger as a verb means to announce or herald an imminent arrival
BREAKDOWN: The meaning of the word harbinger as a herald or forerunner expanded from the very specific task of the Middle English herbengar as one sent ahead to arrange lodgings for any kind of noble, ruler, or traveling party. This word derives from the Old French herbergeor meaning to shelter or take shelter after winding through various permutations of the Germanic compound harja-bergaz meaning shelter or lodgings.
"What counts alone is the innovator, the dissenter, the harbinger of things unheard of, the man who rejects the traditional standards and aims at substituting new values and ideas for old ones." —Ludwig von Mises
[Our Wednesday Wildcards are fascinating and important words that are not necessarily derived from classical roots.]
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