Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “signs” come from?

signs (English) comes from English sign, from Middle English signe, from Old English seġn, from Latin signum, from Proto-Italic seknom, from Proto-Indo-European sek- — to cut, cut off, sever.

signs (English): plural of sign; Third-person singular simple...

Definitions

  1. plural of sign; Third-person singular simple...

Ancestry of “signs”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsignA visible indication; Physical evidence left by...
2Middle Englishsigne—
3Old Englishseġnsign; mark; token
4Latinsignumvisible indication: sign, mark, signal; seal,...
5Proto-Italicseknom—
6Proto-Indo-Europeansek-to cut, cut off, sever
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sek- →