tecken

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”)).

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tecken n

1. A visible indication; a sign.

   Det mörka molnet är ett tecken på att det kommer börja regna.

   That dark cloud is a sign that it will begin to rain.

2. A meaningful gesture
3. A symbol, for example a letter of the alphabet or a more specialized sign.
4. (mathematics) sign (plus or minus)
5. A unit in the sign language, corresponding to a word in spoken language.
6. short for stjärntecken (“astrological sign”)
7. short for järtecken (“omen”)

• (gesture): gest
• (omen): omen

• teckna
• tecknare
• teckning

• tecken in Svensk ordbok.