banal

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

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.

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