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Where does the word "signal" come from? It comes from Latin signum, and was adopted directly into English (1400s).
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Where does the word "signal" come from? It comes from Latin signum, and was adopted directly into English (1400s).
Signal’s story begins in Latin: signum meant “a mark, a sign.” A mark, a sign, a token. It reached English by 1400s as signal. Settled as the English word for a sign that conveys information. Today, signal means a gesture, sound, or transmission that conveys information or a command.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient signum "a mark, a sign", a mark, a sign, a token.
- Stage 2 · English · 1400s signal "a sign or gesture that conveys information", settled as the English word for a sign that conveys information.