Where does “token” come from?

token (Middle English) comes from Old English tācn, from Proto-West Germanic taikn, from Proto-Germanic taikną, from Proto-Indo-European deyḱ- — to point out.

token (Middle English): token; omen, portent; prearranged signal

Definitions

  1. token; omen, portent; prearranged signal

Ancestry of “token”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishtācnsign, token; token, sign; sign, marker
2Proto-West Germanictaiknsign, token, symbol
3Proto-Germanictaiknąsign, token, symbol
4Proto-Indo-Europeandeyḱ-to point out

Words derived from “token”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European deyḱ- →
token — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer