Where does “tegn” come from?
tegn (Danish) comes from Old Danish thæghæn, from Old Norse þegn, from Proto-Germanic þegnaz, from Proto-Indo-European teḱ- — to sire, beget.
tegn (Danish): sign; token; character
Ancestry of “tegn”, step by step
tegn traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old Danish thæghæn
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Danish | thæghæn | — |
| 2 | Old Norse | þegn | thane, franklin, freeman, man; a good man;... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | þegnaz | retainer, servant |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | teḱ- | to sire, beget |
via Old Norse teikn
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | teikn | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | taikną | sign, token, symbol |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | deyḱ- | to point out |
Words derived from “tegn”