Where does “banal” come from?
Banal comes from French banal, from the Latin suffix -alis attached to a Latin root from Proto-Indo-European bʰeh₂-.
banal (English): Common in a boring way, to the point of being...
Definitions
- Common in a boring way, to the point of being...
Ancestry of “banal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | banal | banal; commonplace; public; relating to... |
| 2 | French | ban | public declaration; announcement of a marriage;... |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | bannalis | subject to feudal authority; commanded;... |
| 4 | Latin | bannum | Alternative form of bannus; accusative singular... |
| 5 | Frankish | ban | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | bannaną | to proclaim, to order; to summon; to ban |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeh₂- | to shine, glow light; to speak, say |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeh₂-s-ri- | — |