English

Noun

signum ‎(plural signums or signa)

1. A sign, mark, or symbol.
2. (historical) A medieval tower bell used particularly for ringing the 8 canonical hours.^[1][2]
3. (mathematics) A function that extracts the sign of a real number x, yielding -1 if x is negative, +1 if x is positive, or 0 if x is zero.

Synonyms

• (bell): signum bell
• (math): signum function, sign function

References

1. ↑ Encyclopædia Britannica, 9th ed., "Bell".
2. ↑ Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Music, Vol. 2, p. 452.

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *sek- ‎(“to cut”) or *sekʷ- ‎(“to follow”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈsiɡ.num/, [ˈsɪŋ.nũ]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈsi.ɲum/, [ˈsiɲ.ɲum]

Noun

signum n ‎(genitive signī); second declension

1. a mark, sign, emblem
2. a miracle
3. (Medieval Latin) a signum (medieval tower bell used particularly for ringing the 8 canonical hours)

Inflection

Second declension.

Hyponyms

• signum interrogationis (?)
• signum exclamationis (!)
• signum citationis („“)
• signum divisionis (- resp. ⸗, to divide)
• signum subunionis (- resp. ⸗, to unite)
• signum productionis (¯)
• signum correptionis (˘)

Derived terms

• insignis
• sigillum
• signifex
• significō
• signō

Related terms

• signātūra

Descendants

References

• signum in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• signum in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• SIGNUM in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• Meissner, Carl; Auden, Henry William (1894) Latin Phrase-Book, London: Macmillan and Co.
  • (ambiguous) to follow the standards: signa sequi (opp. a signis discedere, signa relinquere)
    
  • to demand loudly the signal to engage: signum proelii (committendi) exposcere (B. G. 7. 19)
    
  • to give the signal to engage: signum proelii dare
    
  • to fight hand-to-hand, at close quarters: collatis signis (viribus) pugnare
    
  • (ambiguous) statues and pictures: signa et tabulae (pictae)
    
  • (ambiguous) to begin the march, break up the camp: signa ferre, tollere
    
  • (ambiguous) to deviate, change the direction: signa convertere (B. G. 1. 25)
    
  • (ambiguous) to follow the standards: signa sequi (opp. a signis discedere, signa relinquere)
    
  • (ambiguous) to pluck up the standards out of the ground (to begin the march): signa convellere (vid. sect. XVI. 6, note signa...)
    
  • (ambiguous) to attack the enemy: signa inferre in hostem
    
  • (ambiguous) to come to close quarters: signa conferre cum hoste
    
  • (ambiguous) the retreat is sounded: signa receptui canunt
    
• signum in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• signum in William Smith et al., editor (1890) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin