betoken

English

Etymology

From Middle English bitoknen, bitacnen, from Old English betācnian (“to betoken, signify, designate”), equivalent to be- +‎ token. Cognate with Dutch betekenen (“to mean, signify”), German bezeichnen (“to call, designate”), Swedish beteckna (“to represent, designate, indicate”).

Verb

betoken (third-person singular simple present betokens, present participle betokening, simple past and past participle betokened, archaic second-person singular simple present betokenest, archaic third-person singular simple present betokeneth)

1. Signify by some visible object; show by signs or tokens.
   • 1557: Robert Recorde, The whetstone of witte, whiche is the seconde parte of Arithmetike : containyng the xtraction of Rootes : The Cossike practise, with the rule of Equation : and the workes of Surde Nombers.^ʀ, page unknown (Ihon Kyngstone)

     There be other 2 signes in often use of which the first is made thus + and betokeneth more : the other is thus made – and betokeneth lesse.

2. Foreshow by present signs; indicate something future by that which is seen or known.
   • 1853: Virgil, Charles Anthon, LL.D. [tr.], Æneïd of Virgil: With English Notes, Critical and Explanatory, a Metrical Clavis: And an Historical, Geographical, and Mythological Index, page 474 (Harper & Brothers, 329 & 331 Pearl Street, Franklin Square, New York)

     “ Ah ! hospitable land, thou (nevertheless) betokenest war,” i. e., although hospitable, thou nevertheless betokenest war. — Bello.

Synonyms

• (signify): indicate, mark, note
• (foreshow): portend, presage

Translations

show by signs or tokens

Bulgarian: , знача (bg), означавам (bg)

indicate something future by that which is seen or known.

Bulgarian: , вещая (bg), предсказвам (bg)

References

• betoken in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913