teken

Afrikaans

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtiə̯kən/

Etymology 1

From Dutch teken, from Middle Dutch têken, teiken, from Old Dutch *tēkan, *teikan, from Proto-Germanic *taikną. Doublet of teiken (“target, goal”). Cognate with German Zeichen, English token.

Noun

teken (plural tekens, diminutive tekentjie)

1. sign; signal
2. sign, signpost

Etymology 2

From Dutch tekenen, from Middle Dutch têkenen, from Old Dutch *tēkanen, from Proto-Germanic *taiknijaną, from etymology 1. Cognate with German zeichnen.

Verb

teken (present teken, present participle tekenende, past participle geteken)

1. to draw; to sketch
2. to sign; to subscribe

Related terms

• teiken

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈteː.kən/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: te‧ken
• Rhymes: -eːkən

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch têken, from Old Dutch *tēkan, from Proto-West Germanic *taikn, from Proto-Germanic *taikną.

Cognate with German Zeichen, English token and Danish tegn.

Noun

teken n (plural tekenen or tekens, diminutive tekentje n)

1. sign, indication, mark

   Het vreemde geluid kan een teken zijn van een probleem met de motor.

   The strange sound may be a sign of a problem with the engine.

   Er waren geen zichtbare tekens van schade aan de buitenkant van het gebouw.

   There were no visible indications of damage on the exterior of the building.

   Ze zocht naar tekens van leven in het verlaten gebied.

   She looked for signs of life in the abandoned area.

2. sign, symbol

   Het yin-yang teken is een belangrijk symbool in de Chinese filosofie.

   The yin-yang symbol is an important symbol in Chinese philosophy.

   De letters van het alfabet zijn tekens die samen woorden vormen.

   The letters of the alphabet are symbols that form words together.

   De code bestond uit een reeks geheime tekens die alleen de ontvanger kon begrijpen.

   The code consisted of a series of secret symbols that only the receiver could understand.

3. character

   Chinese tekens ― Chinese characters

Alternative forms

• teiken (dialectal)

Derived terms

• gedenkteken
• wonderteken

Descendants

• Afrikaans: teken, teiken
• Berbice Creole Dutch: tegn
• Negerhollands: teken
• → Indonesian: teken

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

teken

1. plural of teek

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

teken

1. inflection of tekenen:
   1. first-person singular present indicative
   2. (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative
   3. imperative

Anagrams

• keten, nekte

Indonesian

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Dutch teken, from Middle Dutch têken, from Old Dutch *tēkan, from Proto-Germanic *taikną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈtɛkən]
• Hyphenation: té‧kên

Verb

teken

1. (informal, uncommon) to sign, to validate or ratify (a document) by writing one's signature on it.

   Synonym: menandatangani

Etymology 2

See this page for the complete etymology information. Influenced by Javanese teken.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtə.kən/
• Hyphenation: tê‧kên

Verb

teken (active neken, passive diteken, involuntary passive/active keteken)

1. Informal form of tekan.

Further reading

• “teken” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Low German

Etymology

See the noun Teken (“symbol, sign”)

Verb

teken (past singular teken, past participle tekent, auxiliary verb hebben)

1. to draw, sign

Conjugation

Conjugation of teken (weak verb, irregular)

infinitive	teken
indicative	present	preterite
1st person singular	teken	teken
2nd person singular	tekens(t)	tekens(t)
3rd person singular	teken(t)	teken
plural	tekent, tekenen	teeknen, teken
imperative	present	—
singular	teken(e)
plural	tekent
participle	present	past
	teken	(e)tekent, getekent
Note: This conjugation is one of many; neither its grammar nor spelling apply to all dialects.

Maranao

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *teken, compare Old Javanese tĕkĕn.

Noun

teken

1. staff, cane (for walking)

References

• A Maranao Dictionary, by Howard P. McKaughan and Batua A. Macaraya

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch *tēkan, from Proto-West Germanic *taikn.

Noun

têken n

1. mark, sign
2. gesture
3. signal
4. sign, indication
5. mark, wound

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Alternative forms

• teiken

Derived terms

• têkenen

Descendants

• Dutch: teken, teiken (dialectal)
  • Afrikaans: teken, teiken
  • Berbice Creole Dutch: tegn
  • Negerhollands: teken
  • → Indonesian: teken
• Limburgish: teike

Further reading

• “teken (I)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “teken (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page I

Norwegian Nynorsk

Participle

teken (neuter teke, definite singular and plural tekne)

1. past participle of ta
2. past participle of taka

Old Frisian

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *taikn.

Noun

tēken n

1. sign

Inflection

Declension of tēken (neuter a-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	tēken	tēken
genitive	tēkenes	tēkena
dative	tēkene	tēkenum, tēkenem
accusative	tēken	tēken

Descendants

• North Frisian:

  Föhr-Amrum: teeken

• Saterland Frisian: Teeken
• West Frisian: teken

West Frisian

Etymology

From Old Frisian tēken, from Proto-West Germanic *taikn.

Noun

teken n (plural tekens, diminutive tekentsje)

1. sign
2. mark
3. symbol

Derived terms

• breedteken

Further reading

• “teken”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011