Etymology Map
Back to all words

Banal

3 stages from Old French to English.

Today it means so ordinary as to be boring

Where does the word "banal" come from? It comes from Old French ban, passing through French before entering English (1840s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
ban
Old French · medieval
"proclamation"
a lord's proclamation or jurisdiction, from Frankish
2
Stage 2 of 3
banal
French · 1200s
"compulsory, common"
belonging to the feudal lord's 'ban': a mill or oven that all his tenants had to use
3
Stage 3 of 3
banal
English · 1840s
"commonplace"
from 'shared by everyone' it came to mean commonplace and trite
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Banal’s story begins in Old French: ban meant “proclamation.” A lord's proclamation or jurisdiction, from Frankish. By 1200s, the word had taken hold in French as banal. Belonging to the feudal lord's 'ban': a mill or oven that all his tenants had to use. It reached English by 1840s as banal. From 'shared by everyone' it came to mean commonplace and trite. Today, banal means so ordinary as to be boring.