Forms: 1 banna-n, bonna-n, 3 banni-en, bonni-en, banni, 3–5 banne-n, -yn, 3–7 banne, 4–5 bann, (6 bawn), 4– ban. Inflexions: see below. [OE. bannan, pa. t. béonn, pa. pple. bannen, to summon (also abannan and ʓebannan to proclaim, summon) = OFris. banna, bonna (pa. t. bén, bante) to proclaim, command, OHG. bannan, MHG. and MDu. bannen, ON. banna (pa. t. bannaða) to prohibit, interdict, curse, Sw. banna to reprove, chide, bannas to curse, Da. bande to curse, execrate:—OTeut. *bannan ‘to proclaim under penalty, or with a threat,’ perhaps orig. merely ‘to proclaim, publicly announce’, f. root ba-, cogn. w. Gr. φα-, L. fa-, speak. In OE. (as in OHG., OS. and MHG.) a strong verb; but with weak pa. t. and pple. banned, already in Layamon. Sense 1 is from OE.; the other senses, first in north. dial., are probably from ON. Cf. BAN sb., which may also have re-acted on the verb.]
I. To summon. [from OE].
† 1. trans. To summon by proclamation. (Chiefly, in early use, to arms.) Obs.
a. 1000. Cynewulf, Riddles, ii. in Sweet, Reader, 180. Hwilum ic to hilde hléoðre bonne wilʓehléðan.
1048. O. E. Chron. Hét se cyning bannan út here.
c. 1205. Lay., 8054. Þe king lette blawen & bonnien [1250 banni] his ferden.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 3213. Pharaon bannede vt his here.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 5424. Aȝen ys broþer wende he faste … Wiþ oþre þat he gan banne.
† b. To call forth, call for (things). Obs.
c. 1205. Lay., 22288. Heo ruokeden burnen, bonneden helmes. Ibid., 27132. Summe bonneden wepnen.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 629. I shall … brynge a morsel of bred to banne your herte.
II. To curse, anathematize, interdict. [from ON., ? and med.L. bannum.]
2. To curse, imprecate damnation upon. arch.
a. 1275. Prov. Ælfred, 441, in O. E. Misc., 129. He sal banne þat wiȝt þat him first taȝte.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XV. 536. Quhen wiffis vald thar childir ban, Thai wald … Beteche thame to the blak dowglass.
1460. Pol. Rel. & L. Poems, 180. And some men ban the, & some men blesse.
a. 1555. Latimer, Serm. & Rem. (1845), 302. They will curse and ban … even into the deep pit of hell, all that gainsay their appetite.
1607. Heywood, Fayre Mayde, Wks. II. 72. Banne my starres.
1621. Quarles, Div. Poems, Esther, xvii. Another bannes the night his sonnes were borne.
1718. Motteux, Quix. (1733), I. 165. Sancho … bann’d his Master to the bottomless Pit.
1827. Hood, Hero & Leander, xxi. And bans his labour like a hopeless slave.
1870. Morris, Jason, II. 110. Ever she blessed the old and banned the new.
† b. with subord. cl. Obs.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 1644. I may banne þat I was born.
1393. Gower, Conf., II. 96. I curse and banne That ever slepe was made for eye.
1557. Tottell’s Misc. (Arb.), 191. And now they banne that they were borne.
3. intr. To curse, utter curses. arch.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 12050. To teche him … not to bann.
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus., 72. Then fell she to sweare … and banne.
1609. Davies, in Farr’s S. P. (1848), 183. Like a fiend, he banned with his breath.
1673. Shadwell, Epsom Wells, II. Wks. 1720, II. 221. Ay, now you ban and curse, you wretch.
1762. Churchill, Ghost, II. Poems I. 209. Then shall He ban at Heaven’s decrees.
1820. Byron, Morg. Mag., xxxv. Yet harsh and haughty, as he lay he bann’d.
4. trans. and absol. To chide, address with angry and maledictory language. dial.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 3485. When þou bannes any man, In wham þou fyndes na gilt to ban.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, XII. 4935. Neuer buerne will vs blame, ne ban for our dede.
1577. trans. Bullinger’s Decades (1592), 132. Bitter speeches, wherewith we vse to curse and ban our neighbors.
1794. in Burns, Wks., IV. 176. Even though she bans and scaulds a wee.
1816. Scott, Antiq., xxvi. And scauld and ban wi’ ilka wife that will scauld and ban wi’ her.
5. To pronounce an ecclesiastical curse upon, to anathematize. arch.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 9176. Þe prest hem bannede.
c. 1400. Apol. Loll., 26. Þei … bannun him, or puttun him out of comyn, or haldun him cursid.
1470. Harding, Chron., lxxxvii. The Church also may banne full sore those striues.
1483. Cath. Angl., 20. Banne, annathematizare.
1814. Scott, Ld. Isles, II. xxviii. Bans all who aid thee in the strife.
1874. Holland, Mistr. Manse, ix. 155. As rose the priest With power to bless and right to ban.
6. To interdict, proscribe, prohibit: a. a thing.
1816. Byron, Pris. Chillon, i. To whom the goodly earth and air Are bann’d and barr’d.
1832. Lytton, Eugene A., V. vii. The sublime and shaded mysteries that are banned mortality.
1865. Lecky, Ration. (1878), II. 41. The religion of the immense majority … was banned and proscribed.
b. a person.
1848. Kingsley, Saint’s Trag., III. ii. 185. No foe Can ban us from that rest.
1863. W. W. Story, Roba di Roma, xv. 320. He banned them from the city.
1874. Blackie, Self-Cult., 86. You may … ban yourself from voluntarily marching into it.
