Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “betoken” come from?

Betoken comes from Old English betācnian, formed from the prefix be- and tācnian meaning to show or indicate.

betoken (English): To signify by some visible object; show by signs...

Definitions

  1. To signify by some visible object; show by signs...

Ancestry of “betoken”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishbitoknen—
2Old Englishbetācnianto betoken, signify, designate

Words derived from “betoken”

  • betokeneth
  • betokenest
Every word from Old English betācnian →