tegn

Danish

Etymology 1

From Old Norse teikn, from Proto-Germanic *taikną, cognate with English token and German Zeichen. The noun is derived from the verb *tīhaną (“to show, accuse”) (cf. Danish te (“to behave”), German zeihen (“to accuse”)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [tˢɑjˀn]

Noun

tegn n (singular definite tegnet, plural indefinite tegn)

1. sign
2. token
3. character

Declension

Declension of tegn

neuter gender	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	tegn	tegnet	tegn	tegnene
genitive	tegns	tegnets	tegns	tegnenes

Derived terms

• diakritisk tegn

Etymology 2

From Old Danish thæghæn, from Old Norse þegn, from Proto-Germanic *þegnaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [tˢeŋˀn], [tˢɛŋˀn], [tˢɑjˀn]

Noun

tegn c (singular definite tegnen, plural indefinite tegne)

1. (historical) freeman, thane

Declension

Declension of tegn

common gender	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	tegn	tegnen	tegne	tegnene
genitive	tegns	tegnens	tegnes	tegnenes

Alternative forms

• thegn

References

• “tegn” in Den Danske Ordbog
• “tegn” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

Inherited from Danish tegn, from Old Norse teikn, from Proto-Germanic *taikną (“sign, token”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tæɪ̯n/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

tegn n (definite singular tegnet, indefinite plural tegn, definite plural tegna or tegnene)

1. sign, symbol
2. character (printed or written letter or symbol)

Derived terms

• divisjonstegn
• kjennetegn
• minustegn
• plusstegn
• skilletegn
• spørsmålstegn
• stjernetegn
• tegnforklaring
• tegnspråk
• utropstegn
• vårtegn

See also

• teikn (Nynorsk)

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

• Like etymology 1 above.

Verb

tegn

1. imperative of tegne

Etymology 3

Inherited from Danish t(h)egn, from Old Norse þegn, from Proto-Germanic *þegnaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɛŋn/

Noun

tegn m (definite singular tegnen, indefinite plural tegner, definite plural tegnene)

1. (historical) freeman, thane

References

• “tegn” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “tegn” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).