An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Zeichen

by Friedrich Kluge

Zeichen, neuter, ‘sign, mark, token, signal, symptom, indication,’ from the equivalent Middle High German zeichen, Old High German zeihhan, neuter; corresponding to Old Saxon têkan, Dutch teeken, Anglo-Saxon tâcn, English token, and the equivalent Gothic taikns. A derivative of the Aryan root dī̆g, dī̆k, which appears also in zeihen and zeigen; this root with k is contained further in Anglo-Saxon tœ̂čęan, English to teach (compare the g of Latin dignus, prodigium, and of Greek δεῖγμα). — Derivative zeichnen, verb, ‘to mark, draw, delineate,’ from Middle High German zeichenen, Old High German zeihhanen; literally ‘to furnish with marks.’