Where does “Signal” come from?

Signal (German) comes from French signal, from Old French segnal, from Medieval Latin signale, from Latin signālis, from Latin signum, from Proto-Italic seknom, from Proto-Indo-European sek- — to cut, cut off, sever.

Signal (German): signal

Definitions

  1. signal

Ancestry of “Signal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchsignalsignal
2Old Frenchsegnalemblem; badge; signature; distinguishing mark...
3Medieval Latinsignalesignal
4Latinsignālis
5Latinsignumvisible indication: sign, mark, signal; seal,...
6Proto-Italicseknomsign
7Proto-Indo-Europeansek-to cut, cut off, sever

Words derived from “Signal

Every word from Proto-Indo-European sek-