Where does “citationstegn” come from?

citationstegn (Danish) comes from Danish tegn, from Old Danish thæghæn, from Old Norse þegn, from Proto-Germanic þegnaz, from Proto-Indo-European teḱ- — to sire, beget.

citationstegn (Danish): quotation mark

Definitions

  1. quotation mark

Ancestry of “citationstegn”, step by step

citationstegn traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Danish tegn

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Danishtegnsign; token; character
2Old Danishthæghæn
3Old Norseþegnthane, franklin, freeman, man; a good man;...
4Proto-Germanicþegnazretainer, servant
5Proto-Indo-Europeanteḱ-to sire, beget

via Danish citation

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Danishcitationcitation; quotation
Every word from Proto-Indo-European teḱ-Every word from Proto-Germanic þegnazEvery word from Old Norse þegn