2202: harbor and harbinger Dec 25, 2020

The words 'harbor' and 'harbinger' are related, but the meanings have since changed overtime. While a harbinger today is anyone who acts as a forerunner to something else, and a harbor is a place along the coast to keep boats, the original meaning of both regarded personal lodging. A harbinger was someone who was sent ahead of an army or noble to arrange the lodgings or even could refer to the innkeeper himself. A harbor used to have a more general meaning referring to any sort of shelter but especially that of an army, from the Old English 'here-beorg' (i.e. like 'burg') meaning 'army city'. This is also where the 'g' comes from in 'harbinger', with the 'n' coming on the same pattern as 'message-messenger'.