Words related to token
Middle English bitoknen "be a symbol or emblem of," from late Old English betacnian "to denote, to mean, signify; be a visible sign or emblem of," from be- + Old English tacnian "to signify," from tacn "sign" (see token) or directly from Proto-Germanic *taiknōjanan.
It is attested from c. 1200 as "to augur, presage, portend," also "be or give evidence of." Related: Betokened; betokening.
Early Middle English also had itaknen "represent symbolically," from Old English getacnian. Also infrequent token (v.), "be a symbol of," from Middle English toknen "represent (something) by a symbol, set a mark on, designate," from Old English tacnian. A tokener (mid-15c.) was one who puts a mark of approval on goods.
early 13c., signe, "gesture or motion of the hand," especially one meant to express thought or convey an idea, from Old French signe "sign, mark," from Latin signum "identifying mark, token, indication, symbol; proof; military standard, ensign; a signal, an omen; sign in the heavens, constellation."
According to Watkins, literally "standard that one follows," from PIE *sekw-no-, from root *sekw- (1) "to follow." De Vaan has it from PIE *sekh-no- "cut," from PIE root *sek- "to cut" He writes: "The etymological appurtenance to seco 'to cut' implies a semantic shift of *sek-no- 'what is cut out', 'carved out' > 'sign'." But he also also compares Hebrew sakkin, Aramaic sakkin "slaughtering-knife," and mentions a theory that "both words are probably borrowed from an unknown third source."
It has ousted native token. By c. 1300 as "an indication of some coming event." The meaning "a visible mark or device having some special meaning" is recorded from late 13c.; that of "miraculous manifestation, a miracle demonstrating divine power" is from c. 1300. In reference to one of the 12 divisions of the zodiac, from mid-14c.
The sense of "inscribed board with a characteristic device attached to the front of an inn, shop, etc.," to distinguish it from others is recorded from mid-15c. The meaning "indicator, token or signal of some condition" (late 13c.) is behind sign of the times (1520s). The meaning "conventional mark or symbol in place of words" (in music, mathematics, etc., as in plus sign) is by 1550s. In some uses, the word probably is a shortening of ensign.
Middle English tēchen, from Old English tæcan (past tense tæhte, past participle tæht) "to show (transitive), point out, declare; demonstrate," also "give instruction, train, assign, direct; warn; persuade."
This is reconstructed to be from Proto-Germanic *taikijan "to show" (source also of Old High German zihan, German zeihen "to accuse," Gothic ga-teihan "to announce"), from PIE root *deik- "to show, point out." It is related to Old English tacen, tacn "sign, mark" (see token). The notion is "to show how to do something by way of information or instruction." Related: Taught; teaching.
By mid-14c. as "disseminate" a system of belief. By c. 1200 as "indicate" how something is to happen; used by 1560s in threats, "make known to one at a cost."
Enraged lemonade vendor (Edgar Kennedy): I'll teach you to kick me!
Chico: you don't have to teach me, I know how. [kicks him]
["Duck Soup," 1933]
The usual sense of Old English tæcan was "show, declare, warn, persuade" (compare German zeigen "to show," from the same root); while the Old English word for "to teach, instruct, guide" was more commonly læran, source of modern learn and lore.
also techy, teachie, tecchy, etc., "easily irritated," 1592, teachie, in "Romeo & Juliet" I.iii.32; a word of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Middle English tatch "a mark, quality," derived via Old French from Vulgar Latin *tecca, from a Germanic source akin to Old English tacen (see token (n.)).
Tetch (n.) "a fit of petulance or anger, a tantrum" ought to be the origin but it is attested too late (1640s) and might be a back-formation from the adjective. Middle English also had teethy "touchy, testy, peevish" (mid-15c.) which is of uncertain origin but perhaps is related to this word or to teeth [Middle English Compendium]. Teety, tetty in the same sense are from 1620s. Related: Tetchily; tetchiness.
Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to show," also "pronounce solemnly," "also in derivatives referring to the directing of words or objects" [Watkins].
It forms all or part of: abdicate; abdication; addict; adjudge; apodictic; avenge; benediction; betoken; condition; contradict; contradiction; dedicate; deictic; deixis; dictate; diction; dictionary; dictum; digit; disk; ditto; ditty; edict; Eurydice; index; indicate; indication; indict; indiction; indictive; indite; interdict; judge; judicial; juridical; jurisdiction; malediction; malison; paradigm; policy (n.2) "written insurance agreement;" preach; predicament; predicate; predict; prejudice; revenge; soi-disant; syndic; teach; tetchy; theodicy; toe; token; valediction; vendetta; verdict; veridical; vindicate; vindication; voir dire.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit dic- "point out, show;" Greek deiknynai "to show, to prove," dikē "custom, usage;" Latin dicere "speak, tell, say," digitus "finger," Old High German zeigon, German zeigen "to show," Old English teon "to accuse," tæcan "to teach."
