signale

Forms

signāle n (genitive signālis); third declension^[1] Also spelled ⟨sinale⟩ and ⟨senale⟩.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is from Latin signālis (“serving as a sign”), its neuter used as a noun;^[1][4] the adjective comes from signum (“mark, sign”).^[1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source for it is of 818, and he glosses it as a sign over goods for sale and a boundary mark.^[3] Niermeyer records ⟨signāle⟩, ⟨sināle⟩ and ⟨senāle⟩ as forms of signāculum in just these two senses: a sign-board for a sale and a boundary stone.^[2]

Semantic evolution

In medieval charters it was a mark or sign of any kind.^[5][1] The Fori Oscae of 1247, quoted by Du Cange, let the lord of the town put a signāle on a man's houses, or on his person if he has no houses, and requires a surety to have pledges or to be “of signāle” so that he can be distrained.^[5] A charter of William, count of Ponthieu, of 1205 lists signālia among its annual dues, and Carpentier's additions to Du Cange give it as the sign of wine or other goods for sale.^[5] An inventory of Cardinal Barbo of 1457 lists a crimson signāle for a book, adorned with gold and twelve red pendants, glossed with French signet.^[5]

It is the source of Old French seignal and French signal, Italian segnale, Spanish señal, Portuguese sinal and Romanian semnal.^[1] English signal, first “a visible sign, indication”, came from Old French in the late 14th century.^[4]

Timeline

• 818 – Köbler's first source uses it.^[3]
• 1205 – A charter of the count of Ponthieu lists dues called signālia.^[5]
• 1247 – The Fori Oscae let a lord set a signāle on a man's houses.^[5]
• late 14th century – English signal is recorded, from Old French.^[4]
• 1457 – An inventory lists a signāle for a book.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Late Latin, Medieval Latin) A sign, mark, signal.^[1][5][4]
2. (Medieval Latin) A sign-board over goods for sale; a boundary mark.^[2][3]
3. (Medieval Latin) A marker for a book, a bookmark.^[5]

Related words

• English signal

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre