signifiance
English
editAlternative forms
editEtymology
editInherited from Middle English signifiaunce, from Old French senefiance, a semi-learned borrowing from Latin significantia. Doublet of significance.
Pronunciation
editNoun
editsignifiance (uncountable)
- (Early Modern, rare) signification, meaning
- c. 1525, Sallust, “How Iugurth aſſembled a newe army of the rude getulyans agaynſt the romayns”, in Alexander Barclay, transl., Here begynneth the famous cronycle of the warre, which the romayns had agaynſt Iugurth vſurper of the kyngdome of Numidy […] , London: Richarde Pynſon:
- Of this people Iugurth aſſembled a multitude togyder and by lytell & lytell enduced & taught them by cuſtome and exercyſe to folowe the oꝛder of chyualry: to kepe array / to inſue their ſtanderdes / to obey the cōmaundementes of their capitayns / to diſcerne and haue knowlege of the ſignifiaunce of ſoundes of trumpettes […]
- 1603, Plutarch, “The Opinions of Philoſophers”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Philosophie, Commonlie Called, The Morals […], London: […] Arnold Hatfield, →OCLC, page 802:
- 21. The ſignifiance of the ſtarres: how commeth winter and ſummer.
Middle English
editNoun
editsignifiance
- Alternative form of signifiaunce
Middle French
editAlternative forms
editEtymology
editOld French senefiance, the signi- sequence being added back to more closely match the original Latin etymon significantia.
Noun
editsignifiance f (plural signifiances)
- meaning
- 1488, Jean Dupré, Lancelot du Lac, page 33:
- l'ermite […] dist a Monsieur Gauvain la signifiance du serpent
- the hermit […] told Gawain the meaning of the serpent
Descendants
edit- French: signifiance (now literary or technical)
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- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
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