Brewer's: Banns of Marriage

The publication in the parish church for three successive Sundays of an intended marriage. It is made after the Second Lesson of the Morning Service. To announce the intention is called “Publishing the banns,” from the words “I publish the banns of marriage between ... ” (Anglo-Saxon, ge-bannan, to proclaim, to announce).

“And a better fate did poor Maria deserve than to have a banns forbidden by the curate of the parish who published them.” —Sterne: Sentimental Journey.

Related Content Allusions Foreign Words and Phrases Latin and Greek Word Elements Names: Their Origins and Meanings Old Testament Names Mythology Ancient Greek Literature & Mythology The Bible (King James version) The Koran (translation by J. M. Rodwell) Shakespeare's Plays Tales from Shakespeare (Charles and Mary Lamb) Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language