Zeichen German · revision 36059

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=765, Old High German glosses|origins=gem-pro *taikną}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈt͡saɪ̯çən/, [-çn̩], /ˈt͡saɪ̯çɛn/^(Wiktionary)

+ * Germany: [-xn̩]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Austria, Southern-Germany, Switzerland: [-xŋ̩]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Zeichen''' ''n'' (genitive Zeichens, plural Zeichen, diminutive Zeichlein n or Zeichelchen n)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|zeichen]], [[inh|goh|zeihhan]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*taikn]], [[inh|gem-pro|*taikną|t=sign, token]].^(Kluge 2011|1004)^(Wiktionary)^(Kroonen 2013) The same word is [[got|𐍄𐌰𐌹𐌺𐌽|tr=taikn]] (beside the feminine [[m|got|𐍄𐌰𐌹𐌺𐌽𐍃|tr=taikns|t=sign, miracle]]), [[non|teikn]], [[ang|tācn]], [[ofs|tēken]] and [[osx|tēkan]], and English [[m|en|token]] continues the Old English word.^(Kluge 2011|1004)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013) Finnish took it over early as [[m|fi|taika|t=omen, soothsaying]].^(Paul 2002)

+

+ Its further origin is disputed.^(Kluge 2011|1004)^(Pfeifer 1993) Pfeifer, Duden, Wahrig and the Grimms connect it with the root of [[zeihen]] and [[zeigen]], [[ine-pro|*deyḱ-|t=to show]], through the ablaut variant [[ine-pro|*doiǵ-]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|946)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch)^(DWB|31, 476) Kluge instead starts from [[ine-pro|*dey-|t=to shine, appear]], as in [[sa|दीदेति|tr=dī́deti|t=shines]] and [[grc|δῆλος|tr=dêlos|t=visible]], and takes the Germanic noun, like [[la|dīvīnus|t=soothsayer]] and [[cu|дивьнъ|tr=divĭnŭ|t=wonderful]], from a derivative meaning “omen”.^(Kluge 2011|1004) Kroonen derives it from a root with a doubled consonant, the source of the Germanic verbs for “to point out”.^(Kroonen 2013)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''zeihhan'' is recorded from 765 in glosses, and then in Isidor, Tatian, Otfrid and Notker, meaning “sign, sign of victory, image, miracle, constellation, sign of the zodiac”.^(Köbler AHD)^(Schützeichel 2012|404) Otfrid already speaks of ''thie zwelf zeichan'', the twelve signs of the zodiac.^(Adelung 1793)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Middle High German ''zeichen'' covered marks and symptoms, proofs, symbols, banners, coats of arms, seals, the stigmata and the signs of the zodiac.^(Köbler MHD)^(Pfeifer 1993) Paul distinguishes the “natural” sign, a symptom read by interpretation (including omens such as the flight of birds), from the conventional sign: the sign of the cross, mathematical and musical signs, signals at sea and on the railway, and above all the linguistic sign, the subject of Herder's essay on the origin of language (1772) and of Saussure's linguistics.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ The phrase ''seines Zeichens'' “by trade” refers to the old house marks and guild signs.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Paul 2002) [[Vorzeichen]], Old High German ''forazeihhan'' “omen”, has also meant a sign placed in front, in mathematics and music, since the 19th century.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|946) Polish ''cecha'' (1441) and ''cech'' (1449) “mark, stamp” and Czech ''cejch'' were borrowed from the German word.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 765 – Old High German ''zeihhan'' appears in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 9th century – Otfrid writes of the twelve signs of the zodiac.^(Adelung 1793)

+ * 1441 – Polish ''cecha'' “mark” is first recorded, borrowed from German.^(LWP)

+ * 1772 – Herder takes the motto of his essay on the origin of language, “words are signs of things”, from Cicero.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 19th century – ''Vorzeichen'' is used in mathematics and music.^(Duden 7 2020|946)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|sign]] or [[m|en|signal]]: a gesture, sound or the like that points something out or prompts an action: ''Auf ein Zeichen des Dirigenten begann das Orchester.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|mark]] made to identify or point to something: ''Sie machte ein Zeichen an den Rand der Seite.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # A symbol with a fixed meaning, a [[m|en|character]]: mathematical signs, the characters of a script, punctuation marks, traffic signs.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # An [[m|en|indication]], symptom or omen: ''Das ist kein gutes Zeichen.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A sign of the [[m|en|zodiac]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(religion)'' A miracle, a wonder.^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[zeichnen]]

+ * [[Abzeichen]]

+ * [[Anzeichen]]

+ * [[Vorzeichen]]

+ * [[Kennzeichen]]

+ * [[Wahrzeichen]]

+ * [[Zeichensetzung]]

+ * [[Zeichensprache]]

+ * [[Zeichentrickfilm]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[zeigen]]

+ * [[Zeiger]]

+ * [[zeihen]]

+ * [[verzeihen]]

+ * [[en|token]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Ein Zeichen setzen'' is to do something that sets a direction.^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''Es geschehen noch Zeichen und Wunder!'' (wonders will never cease) echoes Daniel 6:28 and John 4:48, and ''die Zeichen der Zeit'', the signs of the times, comes from Matthew 16:3.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}