Where does “Sonderzeichen” come from?

Sonderzeichen (German) comes from German zeichen, from Old High German zeihhan, from Proto-West Germanic taikn, from Proto-Germanic taikną, from Proto-Indo-European deyḱ- — to point out.

Sonderzeichen (German): special character

Definitions

  1. special character

Ancestry of “Sonderzeichen”, step by step

Sonderzeichen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German zeichen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanzeichensign, token
2Old High Germanzeihhansign, symbol, feature; sign, symbol
3Proto-West Germanictaiknsign, token, symbol
4Proto-Germanictaiknąsign, token, symbol
5Proto-Indo-Europeandeyḱ-to point out

via German sonder

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germansonderwithout; except; not including
2Proto-Germanicsundrazseparate, isolated, alone
3Proto-Indo-Europeansnter-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European deyḱ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic taikną →Every word from Proto-West Germanic taikn →
Sonderzeichen — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer