harbinger
noun
[ ˈhɑːbɪn(d)ʒə ]
• a person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another.
• "witch hazels are the harbingers of spring"
Similar:
herald,
sign,
indicator,
indication,
signal,
prelude,
portent,
omen,
augury,
forewarning,
presage,
announcer,
forerunner,
precursor,
messenger,
usher,
avant-courier,
foretoken,
Origin:
Middle English: from Old French herbergere, from herbergier ‘provide lodging for’, from herberge ‘lodging’, from Old Saxon heriberga ‘shelter for an army, lodging’ (from heri ‘army’ + a Germanic base meaning ‘fortified place’), related to harbour. The term originally denoted a person who provided lodging, later one who went ahead to find lodgings for an army or for a nobleman and his retinue, hence, a herald (mid 16th century).
