▪ I. harbinger, n.
(ˈhɑːbɪndʒə(r))
Forms: α. 2–7 herberger(e, 4 herborgere, 4–7 herbergeour, 5 herberjoure, -owre, 5–7 herberjour, -barjour, 6 her-, harburger, 6– 7 harberger, -geour. β. 5–6 herbeger(e, harbyger, herbejeour, 6 herbe-, herbigeour, harbiger, -bagar, -besher. γ. 5 herbengar, 5–8 herbenger, 6 herbynger, 6–7 herbinger, harbenger, 6– harbinger, (6 arbinger).
[Early ME. herbergere and herbergeour, a. OF. herbergere (-begiere, habergiere), in obl. case herbergeor (-geur, -geour, -jur, heb-, hab-) one who provides shelter or lodgings (= med.L. heribergātor, herebergiātor), agent-n. from vb. herbergier (-bargier, -begier, -bager, -bigier, har-) to provide lodgings for (= med.L. heribergāre), f. OF. herberge = med.L. heri-, hereberga lodging, quarters (for an army, etc.), a. OHG. and OLG. heriberga lit. ‘shelter for an army’, f. hari, heri, host, army + -berga (= OE. -berᵹ, -beorᵹ) protection, shelter, f. bergan to protect. Already in OHG. this word had been extended from the original military sense, to mean ‘place of entertainment, lodging’: see harbour. The form herbegere, occurring in OF. and ME., was in the latter changed to herbenger, whence, with har- for her- (as also sometimes in OF.), the current harbinger: cf. passenger, messenger, wharfinger. See also harbourer.]
† 1. One who provides lodging; an entertainer, a host; a harbourer. common herberger, a common lodging-house keeper. Obs.
| α c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 143 Þe herbe[r]gers, þe þolemode, þe elmesfulle..sculen beon icleoped on þe fader riht halue. 1340 Ayenb. 39 Robberes and kueade herbergeres [MS. herberȝeres] þet berobbeþ þe pilgrimes an þe marchons. 1382 Wyclif Rom. xvi. 23 Gayus, my herborgere [1388 oost] greetith ȝou wel. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 235/2 Herberiowre, hospiciarius. 1502 Arnolde Chron. (1811) 26 Comon herburgers in the same cite and in the subbarbes..as well as oder comon harburgers free and of the same fraunches. |
| β c 1400 Rom. Rose 5000 Gronyng and Grucchyng, hir herbeiours..tellen hir, erliche and late, That Deth stondith armed at hir gate. Ibid. 7585 With sory happe to youre bihove, Am I to day youre herbegere! Go, herber yow elleswhere than heere. |
2. One sent on before to purvey lodgings for an army, a royal train, etc.; a purveyor of lodgings; in
pl., an advance company of an army sent to prepare a camping-ground; a pioneer who prepares the way.
Hist. and
arch. † Knight Harbinger: an officer in the Royal Household (the office was abolished in 1846).
| α c 1386 Chaucer Man of Law's T. 899 The fame anon thurgh out the toun is born..By herbergeours [v.r. -jours], that wenten hym biforn. ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 2448 Thane come þe herbariours, harageous knyghtez. 1530 Palsgr. 228/2 Harberger, fourrier du roy. a 1562 G. Cavendish Wolsey (1893) 64 His harbergers passyng byfore to provyde lodgyngs for his trayne. |
| β 1460 Paston Lett. No. 357 I. 525 The Harbyger of my Lord of Marche. 1470–85 Malory Arthur vii. xxviii, Thenne ther cam the herbegeours from kynge Arthur for to herborowe hym and his kynges. 1514 Barclay Cyt. & Uplondyshm. (Percy Soc.) p. liii, Men must win the Marshall or els herbegere With price or with prayer. 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VIII (an. 5) (1809) 555 The English cariers that came with the Harbeshers to take ground..tooke certayne wagons with beere and vitaill. 1552 Huloet, Harbiger, to appoint lodginges for the traine of princes, epistathmi. 1555 Abp. Parker Ps. cv, To them as herbeger Lo Joseph sold to servitude. |
| γ 1471 Arriv. Edw. IV (Camden) 27 Theyr herbengars were come afore them as ferre as Sudberrye. 1524 State Papers Hen. VIII, II. 115 He shalle not sett his men too coyne uppon the Kinges subjectes..but by bille made by the arbinger. 1525 Ld. Berners Froiss. II. cxxviii. [cxxiv.] 364 They had sent before their herbyngers to take vp their lodgynges. 1623 tr. Favine's Theat. Hon. ii. xii. 185 Where the Herbinger had before marked the lodgings for Otho. 1635 N. R. Camden's Hist. Eliz. iv. 567 The chief Magistrate..as an Harbinger appoynting out their billet. 1708 J. Chamberlayne St. Gt. Brit. i. ii. xii. (1743) 105 They have a gentleman harbinger to provide lodging for them. 1743 List King's Officers above Stairs ibid. ii. 190 William Cowper, Esq.; Knight-Harbinger. 1877 C. M. Yonge Cameos IV. ii. 25 Harbingers were sent before, to prepare quarters for all this train. |
3. One that goes before and announces the approach of some one; a forerunner. Mostly in
transf. and
fig. senses, and in literary language.
| β a 1550 Hye way Spyttel Hous 834 in Hazl. E.P.P. IV. 60 These to our place have dayly herbegers. |
| γ c 1572 Gascoigne Fruites Warre (R.), Hope is harbenger of all mishappe. 1630 Milton On May Morning, Now the bright morning star, day's harbinger, Comes dancing from the east, and leads with her the flowery May. a 1638 Mede Wks. iii. (1672) 702 His Harbinger John had now finished his Message. 1765 H. Walpole Otranto iii, First came two harbingers with wands. Next a herald. 1768 Beattie Minstr. i. xxxvi, Proud harbinger of day..Fell chanticleer! 1820 W. Irving Sketch Bk. II. 359 The boding cry of the tree-toad, that harbinger of storm. 1874 H. Ainsworth Merry Eng. i. iv, A harbinger, apparelled in the royal livery, had been sent on to announce the approach of the Princess. 1875 Stubbs Const. Hist. II. xiv. 72 The prophet and harbinger of better days coming. |
† 4. = harbourer 2.
Obs. rare.
| 1741 Compl. Fam. Piece ii. i. 289 In Harbouring the Hart, the Huntsman or Harbinger must..put his Hound before him, and beat the Outside of the Springs or Thickets. |
5. harbinger of spring. A small umbelliferous herb of North America,
Erigenia bulbosa, which flowers in March in the Central States. In its tuberous root, twice ternate leaves, and small white flowers, it resembles the Earth-nut of Great Britain.
| 1868 A. Gray Man. Bot. Northern U.S. (ed. 5). |
Hence
ˈharbingership, the office or position of a harbinger.
ˈharbingery (
nonce-wd.), the act or function of a harbinger (in sense 3).
| 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 242 Thou shalt go one houre before; and presently caused his head to be smitten off. An unhappie Harbengership in regard of his Art. 1887 Saintsbury Hist. Elizab. Lit. ii. 46 They do not come in with the somewhat ostentatious usherment and harbingery, which for instance laid the even more splendid bursts of Jeremy Taylor open to the sharp sarcasm of South. |
▪ II. ˈharbinger, v. [f. prec. n. (in sense 3).] trans. To act as a harbinger to; to announce, presage.
| 1646 G. Daniel Poems Wks. 1878 I. 24 To Harbinger his learned name. 1662 Cokaine Ovid i. i, Before..I for this untimely courtesy Make thee to harbinger my soul in death! 1794 Coleridge Relig. Musings Poems I. 88 More bright than all the angel blaze That harbinger'd thy birth. 1814 Southey Roderick xviii. 299 The star that harbingers a glorious day. 1875 Emerson Lett. & Soc. Aims v. 131 Heralded and harbingered by smiles and greetings. |