Where does “signal” come from?

signal (Norwegian Nynorsk) comes 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 (Norwegian Nynorsk): a signal

Definitions

  1. a signal

Ancestry of “signal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Medieval Latinsignalesignal
2Latinsignālis—
3Latinsignumvisible indication: sign, mark, signal; seal,...
4Proto-Italicseknomsign
5Proto-Indo-Europeansek-to cut, cut off, sever

Words derived from “signal”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European sek- →Every word from Proto-Italic seknom →Every word from Latin signum →