banal

See also: banał and Banal

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 (“to order, summon, forbid”). Equivalent to ban +‎ -al. See also ban, abandon.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bəˈnɑːl/, IPA^(key): /ˈbeɪnəl/, IPA^(key): /bəˈnæl/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑːl, -eɪnəl, -æl

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, history) 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?

Derived terms

• banality
• banalize
• banally

Translations

common

• Albanian: banal (sq)
• Arabic: بَايِخ‎ (bāyiḵ), عَادِيّ‎ (ʕādiyy)
• Armenian: տափակ (hy) (tapʿak), ծեծված (hy) (cecvac), բանալ (hy) (banal), անհամ (hy) (anham)
• Belarusian: бана́льны (banálʹny), звыча́йны (be) (zvyčájny)
• Bulgarian: обикнове́н (bg) (obiknovén), бана́лен (bg) (banálen)
• 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), gewoontjes (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), בָּנָלִי‎ (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), 진부(陳腐)하다 (ko) (jinbuhada), 평범하다 (ko) (pyeongbeomhada)
• Kyrgyz: тамтыгы чыккан (ky) (tamtıgı çıkkan)
• Lithuanian: banalus
• Macedonian: банален (banalen)
• Malay: basi (ms), banal
• Maori: mākihakiha
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: banal (no)

• Polish: banalny (pl)
• Portuguese: banal (pt)
• Romanian: banal (ro)
• Russian: бана́льный (ru) (banálʹnyj), изби́тый (ru) (izbítyj), обыкнове́нный (ru) (obyknovénnyj)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: ба̀на̄лан

  Roman: bànālan (sh)

• Slovak: banálny (sk)
• Slovene: banalen
• Spanish: banal (es)
• Swedish: banal (sv)
• Turkish: banal (tr)
• Ukrainian: бана́льний (uk) (banálʹnyj), звича́йний (zvyčájnyj)
• Vietnamese: nhàm (vi)
• 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, Blaan, Laban, Nabal, alban, laban, labna, nabal, nabla

Bikol Central

Etymology

From Proto-Philippine *bənər, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *bənər. Compare Kapampangan banal, Masbatenyo banal, and Tagalog banal.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: ba‧nal
• IPA^(key): /baˈnal/

Adjective

banál

1. pious; devout

Derived terms

• kabanalan
• magbanal
• pabanal

 

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)

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, 2023
• “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.

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 banale, masculine plural banals, feminine plural banales)

1. banal; commonplace

Adjective

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

1. (law) public
2. (historical, relational) of 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
• → Romanian: banal
• → Spanish: banal
• → Turkish: banal

Further reading

• “banal”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
• Banalité (droit seigneurial) on the French Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^fr

Anagrams

• Alban

German

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baˈnaːl/
• Rhymes: -aːl

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

banal (strong nominative masculine singular banaler, comparative banaler, superlative am banalsten)

1. banal

Declension

Positive forms of banal

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
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
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
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
• “banal” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Indonesian

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbanal]
• Hyphenation: ba‧nal

Adjective

banal

1. banal (common)

   Synonym: biasa

2. rude

   Synonym: kasar

Further reading

• “banal” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Language Development and Fostering Agency — Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic Indonesia, 2016.

Kapampangan

Etymology

From Proto-Philippine *bənər, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *bənər. Compare Bikol Central banal, Masbatenyo banal, and Tagalog banal.

Adjective

banál

1. holy; sacred

Derived terms

• magpakabanal

 

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
nominative / accusative	attributive and/or after determiner	banalen	banal	banaalt	banal
	independent without determiner			banales	banaler
dative	after any declined word	banalen	banaler	banalen	banalen
	as first declined word	banalem		banalem

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)

1. banal (common)

   Synonym: basi

Further reading

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

Masbatenyo

Etymology

From Proto-Philippine *bənər, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *bənər.

Adjective

banál

1. holy; divine

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /baˈnaw/ [baˈnaʊ̯]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /bɐˈnal/ [bɐˈnaɫ]

• Rhymes: -al, -aw
• Hyphenation: ba‧nal

Adjective

banal m or f (plural banais)

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

   Synonyms: batido, trivial

Derived terms

• banalidade
• banalizar
• banalmente

 

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

Related terms

• banalitate

Spanish

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baˈnal/ [baˈnal]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: ba‧nal

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

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from Malay benar, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *bənər (“true, righteous, honest”). Compare Bikol Central banal, Kapampangan banal, Masbatenyo banal.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: ba‧nal
• IPA^(key): /baˈnal/, [bɐˈnal]

Adjective

banál (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜈᜎ᜔)

1. holy; sacred; blessed

   Synonyms: sagrado, santo

2. virtuous; righteous
3. pious; devout

Derived terms

• Banal na Mag-anak
• Banal na Misa
• Banal na Pamilya
• Banal na Rosaryo
• Banal na Santo Rosaryo
• banalin
• kabanalan
• magbanal
• magbanal-banalan
• magpabanal
• magpakabanal
• mapagbanal-banalan
• pagbabanal
• pagbabanal-banalan
• pagpapabanal
• pagpapakabanal
• pakabanalin
• pambanal

 

Further reading

• “banal”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila: Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, 2018

Turkish

Etymology

Borrowed from French banal.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [bɑˈnɑl]
• Hyphenation: ba‧nal

Adjective

banal

1. banal

Derived terms

• banallik