Originally, a person that is sent in advance to arrange lodgings. From Middle English herberjour, herbergeour, from Old French herbergeor (French hébergeur), from Frankish *heriberga, from Proto-West Germanic *harjabergu.

• (RP) IPA: /ˈhɑːbɪndʒə/
• (America) enPR: härʹbĭnjər, IPA: /ˈhɑɹbɪnd͡ʒəɹ/

harbinger (plural harbingers)

1. A person or thing that foreshadows or foretells the coming of someone or something.

   Synonyms: forewarning, herald, omen, premonition, sign, signal, prophet

   harbinger of danger; harbinger of doom; harbinger of spring

   • c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act V, scene vi], page 150 ↗, column 2:

     Make all our Trumpets ſpeak, giue thẽ all breath / Thoſe clamorous Harbingers of Blood, & Death

   • 1828, Walter Savage Landor, Imaginary Conversations, Lord Brooke and Sir Philip Sidney:

     I knew by these harbingers who were coming.

2. (obsolete) One who provides lodgings; especially, the officer of the English royal household who formerly preceded the court when travelling, to provide and prepare lodgings.
   • 1644, Thomas Fuller, "Truth Maintained" (a sermon)

     outward decency […] is the Harbinger to provide the lodging for inward holinesse

• French: présage
• German: (person) Vorbote, (thing) Omen, Vorzeichen
• Italian: (person) messaggero, araldo, (thing) presagio, precursore, foriero, profeta, premonitore, premonitrice
• Portuguese: arauto, presságio
• Russian: провозве́стник
• Spanish: anunciador, anunciante, heraldo

harbinger (harbingers, present participle harbingering; simple past and past participle harbingered)

1. (transitive) To announce or precede; to be a harbinger of.

   Synonyms: herald

• French: annoncer, présager
• German: ankündigen
• Italian: annunciare, presagire, premonire, profetizzare
• Russian: предвеща́ть
• Spanish: anunciar