Where does “contresigner” come from?
contresigner (French) comes from French signer, from Old French seignier, from Latin signāre, from Latin signum, from Proto-Italic seknom, from Proto-Indo-European sek- — to cut, cut off, sever.
contresigner (French): to countersign
Ancestry of “contresigner”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | signer | to sign |
| 2 | Old French | seignier | — |
| 3 | Latin | signāre | — |
| 4 | Latin | signum | visible indication: sign, mark, signal; seal,... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | seknom | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sek- | to cut, cut off, sever |