Where does “spørsmålstegn” come from?

spørsmålstegn (Norwegian Bokmål) comes from Norwegian Bokmål tegn, from Danish tegn, from Old Danish thæghæn, from Old Norse þegn, from Proto-Germanic þegnaz, from Proto-Indo-European teḱ- — to sire, beget.

spørsmålstegn (Norwegian Bokmål): a question mark

Definitions

  1. a question mark

Ancestry of “spørsmålstegn”, step by step

spørsmålstegn traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Norwegian Bokmål tegn

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Norwegian Bokmåltegna sign; a character; imperative of tegne
2Danishtegnsign; token; character
3Old Danishthæghæn—
4Old Norseþegnthane, franklin, freeman, man; a good man;...
5Proto-Germanicþegnazretainer, servant
6Proto-Indo-Europeanteḱ-to sire, beget

via Norwegian Bokmål spørsmål

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Norwegian Bokmålspørsmåla question
2Old Danishspørsmaal—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European teḱ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic þegnaz →Every word from Old Norse þegn →