banal

See also: banał

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French banal (“held in common, relating to feudal service, by extension commonplace”), from Old French banel, related to Medieval Latin bannālis (“subject to feudal authority”), from Latin bannus (“jurisdiction”), both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *bannaną (“order, summon, forbid”). See also ban, abandon.

Pronunciation

• enPR: bə-näl', IPA^(key): /bəˈnɑːl/
• Rhymes: -ɑːl
• enPR: bān'əl, IPA^(key): /ˈbeɪnəl/
• Rhymes: -eɪnəl
• enPR: bə-năl', IPA^(key): /bəˈnæl/
• Rhymes: -æl

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

Adjective

banal (comparative more banal or banaler, superlative most banal or banalest)

1. Common in a boring way, to the point of being predictable; containing nothing new or fresh.

   Synonyms: everyday, prosaic; see also Thesaurus:hackneyed, Thesaurus:boring

   Antonyms: new, original

   • 2013, John Carney, Begin Again, spoken by Dan (Mark Ruffalo):

     One of the most banal scenes is suddenly invested with so much meaning! All these banalities - They're suddenly turned into these… these beautiful, effervescent pearls. From Music.

2. (uncommon, historical) Relating to a type of feudal jurisdiction or service.
   • 1926, Thomas Guérin, Feudal Canada: The Story of the Seigniories of New France, page 72:

     They arrived in 1732, and were distributed gratis to the more important banal mills.

   • 1984, C. Warren Hollister, “War and Diplomacy in the Anglo-Norman world: the reign of Henry I”, in Anglo-Norman Studies VI: Proceedings of the Battle Conference, 1983, page 79:

     French historians have viewed these policies as efforts to replace the banal authority inherited from the Carolingians […]

   • 2002, Wim Blockmans; Peter Hoppenbrouwers, Introduction to Medieval Europe 300–1500, page 138:

     To what extent were banal lords accountable to a prince or a king for their unrestricted exercise of public authority?

Related terms

• banality
• banalize
• banally

Translations

common

• Albanian: banal (sq)
• Armenian: տափակ (hy) (tapʿak), ծեծված (hy) (cecvac), բանալ (hy) (banal), անհամ (hy) (anham)
• Bulgarian: обикновен (bg) (obiknoven), банален (bg) (banalen)
• Catalan: banal (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 平凡 (zh) (píngfán), 平庸 (zh) (píngyōng), 平常 (zh) (píngcháng)

• Czech: banální (cs)
• Danish: banal
• Dutch: banaal (nl)
• Esperanto: banala (eo)
• Finnish: lattea (fi), itsestään selvä
• French: banal (fr)
• Galician: banal
• Georgian: ბანალური (banaluri), ჩვეულებრივი (čveulebrivi)
• German: banal (de)
• Greek: μπανάλ (el) (banál)
• Hebrew: שטחי‎ (shitkhí), בנלי‎ (he) (banáli)
• Hungarian: banális (hu)

• Indonesian: banal (id)
• Interlingua: banal
• Italian: banale (it)
• Japanese: ありふれた (arifureta), 陳腐な (ja) (ちんぷな, chinpu-na)
• Korean: 시시하다 (ko) (sisihada), 따분하다 (ko) (ttabunhada), 진부하다 (ko) (jinbuhada) (陳腐-)
• Kyrgyz: тамтыгы чыккан (ky) (tamtıgı çıkkan)
• Lithuanian: banalus m
• Malay: basi, banal
• Maori: mākihakiha
• Norwegian: banal (no), banalt
• Polish: banalny (pl)
• Portuguese: banal (pt)
• Russian: бана́льный (ru) (banálʹnyj), изби́тый (ru) (izbítyj), обыкнове́нный (ru) (obyknovénnyj)
• Spanish: banal (es)
• Swedish: banal (sv)
• West Frisian: plat

Further reading

• banal in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• banal in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• Alban, Balan, Laban, Nabal, alban, laban, labna, nabal, nabla

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Breton

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

banal m

1. bramble
2. broom (a plant, sp. Genista)

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Catalan

Etymology

From French banal.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /bəˈnal/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /baˈnal/

Adjective

banal (masculine and feminine plural banals)

1. banal (common in a boring way)

Derived terms

• banalitat
• banalitzar
• banalment

 

Further reading

• “banal” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “banal” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “banal” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “banal” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

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French

Etymology

From ban +‎ -al, related to Medieval Latin bannālis, from bannus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ba.nal/

• audio

  (file)

• Homophones: banale, banals, banales

Adjective

banal (feminine singular banale, masculine plural banals, feminine plural banales)

1. banal; commonplace

Adjective

banal (feminine singular banale, masculine plural banaux, feminine plural banales)

1. (law) public
2. (historical) relating to facilities owned by feudal lords

   un four banal, un moulin banal

   a commonplace oven, a commonplace mill

Derived terms

• banalité

Descendants

• → Catalan: banal
• → Dutch: banaal
  • → Indonesian: banal
  • → Malay: banal
• → English: banal
• → German: banal
• → Portuguese: banal
• → Spanish: banal

Further reading

• “banal” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
• Banalité (droit seigneurial) on the French Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^fr

Anagrams

• Alban

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German

Etymology

From French banal, from Medieval Latin bannalis, from bannum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baˈnaːl/
• Rhymes: -aːl

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

banal (comparative banaler, superlative am banalsten)

1. banal

Declension

Positive forms of banal

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		er ist banal	sie ist banal	es ist banal	sie sind banal
strong declension (without article)	nominative	banaler	banale	banales	banale
	genitive	banalen	banaler	banalen	banaler
	dative	banalem	banaler	banalem	banalen
	accusative	banalen	banale	banales	banale
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der banale	die banale	das banale	die banalen
	genitive	des banalen	der banalen	des banalen	der banalen
	dative	dem banalen	der banalen	dem banalen	den banalen
	accusative	den banalen	die banale	das banale	die banalen
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein banaler	eine banale	ein banales	(keine) banalen
	genitive	eines banalen	einer banalen	eines banalen	(keiner) banalen
	dative	einem banalen	einer banalen	einem banalen	(keinen) banalen
	accusative	einen banalen	eine banale	ein banales	(keine) banalen

Comparative forms of banal

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		er ist banaler	sie ist banaler	es ist banaler	sie sind banaler
strong declension (without article)	nominative	banalerer	banalere	banaleres	banalere
	genitive	banaleren	banalerer	banaleren	banalerer
	dative	banalerem	banalerer	banalerem	banaleren
	accusative	banaleren	banalere	banaleres	banalere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der banalere	die banalere	das banalere	die banaleren
	genitive	des banaleren	der banaleren	des banaleren	der banaleren
	dative	dem banaleren	der banaleren	dem banaleren	den banaleren
	accusative	den banaleren	die banalere	das banalere	die banaleren
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein banalerer	eine banalere	ein banaleres	(keine) banaleren
	genitive	eines banaleren	einer banaleren	eines banaleren	(keiner) banaleren
	dative	einem banaleren	einer banaleren	einem banaleren	(keinen) banaleren
	accusative	einen banaleren	eine banalere	ein banaleres	(keine) banaleren

Superlative forms of banal

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		er ist am banalsten	sie ist am banalsten	es ist am banalsten	sie sind am banalsten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	banalster	banalste	banalstes	banalste
	genitive	banalsten	banalster	banalsten	banalster
	dative	banalstem	banalster	banalstem	banalsten
	accusative	banalsten	banalste	banalstes	banalste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der banalste	die banalste	das banalste	die banalsten
	genitive	des banalsten	der banalsten	des banalsten	der banalsten
	dative	dem banalsten	der banalsten	dem banalsten	den banalsten
	accusative	den banalsten	die banalste	das banalste	die banalsten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein banalster	eine banalste	ein banalstes	(keine) banalsten
	genitive	eines banalsten	einer banalsten	eines banalsten	(keiner) banalsten
	dative	einem banalsten	einer banalsten	einem banalsten	(keinen) banalsten
	accusative	einen banalsten	eine banalste	ein banalstes	(keine) banalsten

Related terms

• banalisieren
• Banalität

 

Further reading

• “banal” in Duden online

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Indonesian

Etymology

From Malay banal, from Dutch banaal, from French banal, from Medieval Latin bannalis, from bannum.

Adjective

banal

1. banal (common)

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Luxembourgish

Adjective

banal (masculine banalen, neuter banaalt, comparative méi banal, superlative am banaalsten)

1. banal

Declension

declension of banal

number and gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		hien ass banal	si ass banal	et ass banal	si si(nn) banal
without article	nominative/accusative	banalen	banal	banaalt	banal
	dative	banalem	banaler	banalem	banalen
with article	nominative/accusative	banalen	banal	banaalt	banal
	dative	banalen	banaler	banalen	banalen

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Malay

Etymology

From Dutch banaal, from French banal, from Medieval Latin bannalis, from bannum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /banal/
• Rhymes: -anal, -nal, -al

Adjective

banal (Jawi spelling بانل‎, plural banal-banal)

1. banal (common)

   Synonym: basi

Further reading

• “banal” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.

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Masbatenyo

Adjective

banál

1. holy; divine

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Portuguese

Adjective

banal m or f (plural banais, comparable)

1. banal (common)
2. hackneyed (repeated too often)

   Synonyms: batido, trivial

Derived terms

• banalidade
• banalizar

 

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Romanian

Etymology

From French banal.

Adjective

banal m or n (feminine singular banală, masculine plural banali, feminine and neuter plural banale)

1. commonplace

Declension

Declension of banal

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	banal		banală	banali	banale
	definite	banalul		banala	banalii	banalele
genitive/ dative	indefinite	banal		banale	banali	banale
	definite	banalului		banalei	banalilor	banalelor

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Spanish

Etymology

From French banal, from Medieval Latin bannalis, from bannum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baˈnal/, [baˈnal]
• Rhymes: -al

Adjective

banal (plural banales)

1. banal

Derived terms

• banalidad
• banalizar

 

Further reading

• “banal” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

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Tagalog

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Adjective

banal

1. pious