Where does “tegnsprog” come from?

tegnsprog (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.

tegnsprog (Danish): sign language

Definitions

  1. sign language

Ancestry of “tegnsprog”, step by step

tegnsprog 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 sprog

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Danishsproglanguage
2Middle Low Germansprāke—
3Old Saxonsprākaspeech
4Proto-West Germanic*sprākuspeech, language
Every word from Proto-Indo-European teḱ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic þegnaz →Every word from Old Norse þegn →