banner
/ˈbæn.ər/
noun
Origin
Old French
baniere — flag, standard
Overview
Meaning Now
- A flag or other piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan, or other message.
- A headline or advertisement stretching across the full width of a page or screen.
Literal older meaning
a cloth carried on a pole
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Old French → English
Earliest form
banere
Earliest period
13th century
Journey
In the feudal era, a 'banneret' was a knight who led a company of soldiers under his own square flag or banner, distinct from a knight bachelor who served under another's standard.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*bha-
“to shine, to glow”
Suggesting a conspicuous object
- Frankish
*bandwō
“sign, signal, standard”
- Old French
baniere
“a flag used in battle”
- Middle English
banere
“flag, ensign”
- Modern English
banner
“cloth signal or digital advertisement”
Connections
Word parts
ban
root
signal/sign
er
suffix
forming a noun of thing
Related across languages
French
bannière
flag/banner
Italian
bandiera
flag
German
banner
Explore next
Related to banner
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.