Where does “signen” come from?
signen (Middle English) comes from Old English seġnian, from Proto-Germanic segnōną, from Latin signō, from Latin signum, from Proto-Italic seknom, from Proto-Indo-European sek- — to cut, cut off, sever.
Ancestry of “signen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | seġnian | to mark; sign |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | segnōną | to mark with a cross, bless |
| 3 | Latin | signō | — |
| 4 | Latin | signum | visible indication: sign, mark, signal; seal,... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | seknom | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sek- | to cut, cut off, sever |
Words derived from “signen”