signe

Pronunciation

• IPA: /siɲ/^[1]

Forms

signe m (plural signes)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin signum (“mark, token; signal; standard; constellation”).^{[2][3][4][5][6]} It is a doublet of the popular seing, which it has replaced in most uses.^[2][3][1] The origin of “signum” is uncertain: it has been linked with secō (“to cut”), a mark first made by incision, or with an Indo-European root “*sekʷ-” “to declare”.^[3][7] The pronunciation “sine” was usual in the 16th and 17th centuries.^[4][8]

Compare Italian segno, Old Occitan signe, Spanish signo and Portuguese signo.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Vie de saint Léger (second half of the 10th century) signe is a miracle, and the Passion de Clermont has signa for a remarkable, meaningful thing.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

It soon meant a thing that allows one to infer the existence of another, a token or omen, and Philippe de Thaon (1119) uses it for the signs of the zodiac.^[2][3] The gesture made to convey a thought is found early in the 12th century, and faire signe about 1170.^[2] Signe de croix (1130–40) is a calque of Ecclesiastical Latin signum crucis.^[2][4] Other senses followed: a pilgrim's badge (1174), a symptom (1314), a mark placed on a deed (1362), a figure or character representing something (Rabelais, 1564).^[2] Signes des temps (1535) is biblical, and signe des temps in the modern sense dates from Anatole France (1881).^[2] Saussure (1916) gave it its place in linguistics.^[9]

Timeline

• Second half of the 10th century – “Miracle”, Vie de saint Léger.^[2]
• 1119 – A sign of the zodiac, Philippe de Thaon.^[2]
• Early 12th century – A gesture.^[2]
• 1130–40 – Signe de croix, Wace.^[2]
• 1314 – A symptom, Henri de Mondeville.^[2]
• 1564 – A conventional sign, Rabelais.^[2]
• 1881 – Signe des temps, Anatole France.^[2]
• 1916 – The linguistic sign, Saussure.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. A sign, indication: c'est bon signe, un signe de fatigue, ne pas donner signe de vie.^[7][1]
2. A gesture, signal: faire signe à quelqu'un, un signe de tête, la langue des signes.^[1][10]
3. A mark, distinguishing feature: signe particulier, signes extérieurs de richesse.^[10][7]
4. A symbol, character: signe de ponctuation, (mathematics) le signe plus.^[1][10]
5. A sign of the zodiac: être né sous le signe du Lion, sous le signe de, under the sign of.^[3][2]
6. Signe de croix: the sign of the cross.^[2][1]
7. (linguistics) A linguistic sign.^[9]

Word family

• signet

Related words

• seing
• signal
• signer
• signifier
• insigne
• enseigne
• Latin signum

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
3. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 11, 607a
7. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
10. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)