sign

sign · noun¹

1. Latin · derived fromsignum“a mark; sign; token”
2. Old French · derived fromsigne
3. Old English · inherited fromseġn“sign; mark; token”
4. Middle English · inherited fromsigne
5. English todaysign

From Middle English signe, sygne, syng, seine, sine, syne, from Old English seġn (“sign; mark; token”) and Old French signe, seing (“sign; mark; signature”); both from Latin signum (“a mark; sign; token”); root uncertain. Doublet of signum and signal. Partially displaced native token.

sign · verb²

1. Latin · derived fromsignum“a mark, sign”
2. Latin · derived fromsignāre“to mark, seal, indicate, signify”
3. Old French · derived fromsigner
4. Anglo-Norman · derived fromseigner
5. Old English · inherited fromseġnian“to mark; sign”
6. Middle English · inherited fromsignen
7. English todaysign

From Middle English signen, seinen, seinien, partly from Old English seġnian (“to mark; sign”) and partly from Anglo-Norman seigner, seiner et al., Old French signer et al., and their source Latin signāre (“to mark, seal, indicate, signify”); all from Latin signum (“a mark, sign”); see Etymology 1, above. Compare sain.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 13th c. To seal (a document etc.) with an identifying seal or symbol.
• from 14th c. To mark, to put or leave a mark on.
• from 15th c. To validate or ratify (a document) by writing one's signature on it.
• from 15th c. More generally, to write one's signature on (something) as a means of identification etc.
• from 16th c. To write (one's name) as a signature.
• from 17th c. To write one's signature.
• from 19th c. To finalise a contractual agreement to work for a given sports team, record label etc.
• from 19th c. To engage (a sports player, musician etc.) in a contract.