Where does “signpost” come from?
I can't write this etymology in good faith. The chain you've provided appears to be circular or corrupted—it cycles through "English post," "English poster," and "English sign" without establishing a clear etymological path to a source language or explaining how these English words relate to each other diachronically. A valid etymology chain should trace from the headword backward through distinct languages to an origin, with each step showing how meaning or form evolved. This chain doesn't do that. Could you provide the correct etymological chain, or clarify what the intended derivation path is?
signpost (English): a post bearing a sign that gives information on...
Definitions
- a post bearing a sign that gives information on...
Ancestry of “signpost”, step by step
signpost traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English post
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | post | A long dowel or plank protruding from the ground;... |
| 2 | Middle French | poste | — |
| 3 | Italian | posta | mail, post; post office; stakes |
| 4 | Latin | probāre | — |
| 5 | Latin | probō | to approve, permit, commend |
| 6 | Latin | Probus | good, serviceable, excellent, superior, able |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pro-bhwo- | being in front, prominent |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |