Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “signalment” come from?

signalment (English) comes from French signalement, from French signaler, from French signalé, from Italian segnalato, from Italian segnalare, from Italian segnale, from Late Latin signale, from Latin signālis — to cut, cut off, sever.

signalment (English): The act of signalling, or of signalizing; A...

Definitions

  1. The act of signalling, or of signalizing; A...

Ancestry of “signalment”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchsignalementphysical description
2Frenchsignalerto signal; to highlight, to notify, to bring to...
3Frenchsignalépast participle of signaler
4Italiansegnalatopast participle of segnalare; past participle of...
5Italiansegnalareto indicate or be a sign of; to signal; to report...
6Italiansegnalesignal, sign
7Late Latinsignale—
8Latinsignālis—
9Latinsignumvisible indication: sign, mark, signal; seal,...
10Proto-Italicseknom—
11Proto-Indo-Europeansek-to cut, cut off, sever
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sek- →