Banns
/bænz/noun
Public announcements made in a church of an intended marriage, traditionally on three successive Sundays.
Did you know?The phrase “publish the banns” preserves the word’s original sense of officially proclaiming or summoning something before the community.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*bannaną
“To command, proclaim, or summon publicly”
Old English
Old English
bannan
“To summon, command, or proclaim”
Old English
Old English
gebann
“A proclamation, command, or public summons”
Middle English
Middle English
banne / bannes
“A public proclamation, especially an announcement of an intended marriage”
14th Century
English
banns
“Formal church announcements of a forthcoming marriage”
Modern English
English
banns
“Public marriage announcements made in a church”