LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbfirst conjugation

signō

signō (present infinitive signāre, perfect active signāvī, supine signātum)
Classical[ˈsɪŋ.noː]Ecclesiastical[ˈsiɲ.ɲo]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. to mark, sign
  2. to seal, stamp
  3. to statue
  4. figurativelyto point out, to indicate, to express, to designate

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

signum dō vel pōnō; epistulam ānulō signāmus.
signō -āre — in Mille Verba, Artēs et Litterae

Conjugation conjugation 1

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.signōsignābamsignābōsignāvīsignāveramsignāverō
signārō
2nd sg.signāssignābāssignābissignāvistī
signāstī		signāverās
signārās		signāveris
3rd sg.signatsignābatsignābitsignāvitsignāverat
signārat		signāverit
signārit
1st pl.signāmussignābāmussignābimussignāvimussignāverāmussignāverimus
signārimus
2nd pl.signātissignābātissignābitissignāvistis
signāstis		signāverātis
signārātis		signāveritis
signāritis
3rd pl.signantsignābantsignābuntsignāvērunt
signāvēre, signārunt		signāverant
signārant		signāverint
signārint
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.signemsignāremsignāverim
signārim		signāvissem
signāssem
2nd sg.signēssignārēssignāverīssignāvissēs
signāssēs
3rd sg.signetsignāretsignāverit
signārit		signāvisset
signāsset
1st pl.signēmussignārēmussignāverīmus
signārīmus		signāvissēmus
signāssēmus
2nd pl.signētissignārētissignāverītis
signārītis		signāvissētis
signāssētis
3rd pl.signentsignārentsignāverint
signārint		signāvissent
signāssent
passive indicative
passive indicative
formpresentimperfectfuture
1st sg.signorsignābarsignābor
2nd sg.signāris
signāre		signābāris
signābāre		signāberis
signābere
3rd sg.signātursignābātursignābitur
1st pl.signāmursignābāmursignābimur
2nd pl.signāminīsignābāminīsignābiminī
3rd pl.signantursignābantursignābuntur
passive subjunctive
passive subjunctive
formpresentimperfect
1st sg.signersignārer
2nd sg.signēris
signēre		signārēris
signārēre
3rd sg.signētursignārētur
1st pl.signēmursignārēmur
2nd pl.signēminīsignārēminī
3rd pl.signentursignārentur
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
pres. 2nd sg.signāsignāre
pres. 2nd pl.signātesignāminī
fut. 2nd sg.signātōsignātor
fut. 3rd sg.signātōsignātor
fut. 2nd pl.signātōte—
fut. 3rd pl.signantōsignantor
infinitives & participles
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitivesignāresignārī
perfect infinitivesignāvisse
signāsse		signātum esse
future infinitivesignātūrum essesignātum īrī
present participlesignāns—
perfect participle—signātus
signāta, signātā, signātae, signātam, signātārum, signātās, signātī, signātōrum, signātōs
future participlesignātūrus
signātūra, signātūrā, signātūrae, signātūram, signātūrārum, signātūrās, signātūre, signātūrī, signātūrīs, signātūrō, signātūrōrum, signātūrōs, signātūrum		signandus
signanda, signandā, signandae, signandam, signandārum, signandās, signande, signandīs, signandōrum, signandōs
gerundsignandī, signandō, signandumsupinesignātum, signātū

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

aes (argentum) signatum
coined money; bullion.
epistulam signare, obsignare
to seal, fasten a letter.

signo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. signum,
I. to set a mark upon, to mark, mark out, designate (syn.: noto, designo).
I. Lit.
A. In gen. (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose): discrimen non facit neque signat linea alba, Lucil. ap. Non. 405, 17: signata sanguine pluma est, Ov. M. 6, 670: ne signare quidem aut partiri limite campum Fas erat, Verg. G. 1, 126: humum limite mensor, Ov. M. 1, 136; id. Am. 3, 8, 42: moenia aratro, id. F. 4, 819: pede certo humum, to print, press, Hor. A. P. 159; cf.: vestigia summo pulvere, to mark, imprint, Verg. G. 3, 171: auratā cyclade humum, Prop. 4 (5), 7, 40. haec nostro signabitur area curru, Ov. A. A. 1, 39: locum, ubi ea (cistella) excidit, Plaut. Cist. 4, 2, 28: caeli regionem in cortice signant, mark, cut, Verg. G. 2, 269: nomina saxo, Ov. M. 8, 539: rem stilo, Vell. 1, 16, 1: rem carmine, Verg. A. 3, 287; for which: carmine saxum, Ov. M. 2, 326: cubitum longis litteris, Plaut. Rud. 5, 2, 7: ceram figuris, to imprint, Ov. M. 15, 169: cruor signaverat herbam, had stained, id. ib. 10, 210; cf. id. ib. 12, 125: signatum sanguine pectus, id. A. A. 2, 384: dubiā lanugine malas, id. M. 13, 754: signata in stirpe cicatrix, Verg. G. 2, 379: manibus Procne pectus signata cruentis, id. ib. 4, 15: vocis infinitios sonos paucis notis, Cic. Rep. 3, 2, 3: visum objectum imprimet et quasi signabit in animo suam speciem, id. Fat. 19, 43.—
B. In partic.
1. To mark with a seal; to seal, seal up, affix a seal to a thing (usually obsignare): accepi a te signatum libellum, Cic. Att. 11, 1, 1: volumina, Hor. Ep. 1, 13, 2: locellum tibi signatum remisi, Caes. ap. Charis. p. 60 P.: epistula, Nep. Pel. 3, 2: arcanas tabellas, Ov. Am. 2, 15, 15: signatis quicquam mandare tabellis, Tib. 4, 7, 7: lagenam (anulus), Mart. 9, 88, 7: testamentum, Plin. Ep. 2, 20, 8 sq.; cf. Mart. 5, 39, 2: nec nisi signata venumdabatur (terra), Plin. 35, 4, 14, § 33.—Absol., Mart. 10, 70, 7; Quint. 5, 7, 32; Suet. Ner. 17.—
2. To mark with a stamp; hence,
a. Of money, to stamp, to coin: aes argentum aurumve publice signanto, Cic. Leg. 3, 3, 6; cf.: qui primus ex auro denarium signavit ... Servius rex primus signavit aes ... Signatum est nota pecudum, unde et pecunia appellata ... Argentum signatum est anno, etc., Plin. 33, 3, 13, § 44: argentum signatum, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 25, § 63; Quint. 5, 10, 62; 5, 14, 26: pecunia signata Illyriorum signo, Liv. 44, 27, 9: denarius signatus Victoriā, Plin. 33, 3, 13, § 46: sed cur navalis in aere Altera signata est, Ov. F. 1, 230: milia talentūm argenti non signati formā, sed rudi pondere, Curt. 5, 2, 11.— Hence,
b. Poet.: signatum memori pectore nomen habe, imprinted, impressed, Ov. H. 13, 66: (filia) quae patriā signatur imagine vultus, i. e. closely resembles her father, Mart. 6, 27, 3.—
c. To stamp, i. e. to license, invest with official authority (late Lat.): quidam per ampla spatia urbis ... equos velut publicos signatis, quod dicitur, calceis agitant, Amm. 14, 6, 16.—
3. Pregn., to distinguish, adorn, decorate (poet.): pater ipse suo superūm jam signat honore, Verg. A. 6, 781 Heyne: caelum corona, Claud. Nupt. Hon. et Mar. 273.—
II. Trop., to point out, signify, indicate, designate, express (rare; more usually significo, designo; in Cic. only Or. 19, 64, where dignata is given by Non. 281, 10; v. Meyer ad loc.): translatio plerumque signandis rebus ac sub oculos subiciendis reperta est, Quint. 8, 6, 19: quotiens suis verbis signare nostra voluerunt (Graeci), id. 2, 14, 1; cf.: appellatione signare, id. 4, 1, 2: utrius differentiam, id. 6, 2, 20; cf. id. 9, 1, 4; 12, 10, 16: nomen (Caieta) ossa signat, Verg. A. 7, 4: fama signata loco est, Ov. M. 14, 433: miratrixque sui signavit nomine terras, designated, Luc. 4, 655; cf.: (Earinus) Nomine qui signat tempora verna suo, Mart. 9, 17, 4: Turnus ut videt ... So signari oculis, singled out, looked to, Verg. A. 12, 3: signare responsum, to give a definite or distinct answer, Sen. Ben. 7, 16, 1.—With rel.-clause: memoria signat in quā regione quali adjutore legatoque fratre meo usus sit, Vell. 2, 115.—
B. To distinguish, recognize: primi clipeos mentitaque tela Adgnoscunt, atque ora sono discordia signant, Verg. A. 2, 423; cf.: sonis homines dignoscere, Quint. 11, 3, 31: animo signa quodcumque in corpore mendum est, Ov. R. Am. 417.—
C. To seal, settle, establish, confirm, prescribe (mostly poet.): signanda sunt jura, Prop. 3 (4), 20, 15. signata jura, Luc. 3, 302: jura Suevis, Claud. ap. Eutr. 1, 380; cf.: precati deos ut velint ea (vota) semper solvi semperque signari, Plin. Ep. 10, 35 (44).—
D. To close, end: qui prima novo signat quinquennia lustro, Mart. 4, 45, 3.—Hence,
A. signan-ter, adv. (acc. to II. A.), expressly, clearly, distinctly (late Lat. for the class. significanter): signanter et breviter omnia indicare, Aus. Grat. Act. 4: signanter et proprie dixerat, Hier. adv. Jovin. 1, 13 fin.—
B. signātus, a, um, P. a.
1. (Acc. to I. B. 1. sealed; hence) Shut up, guarded, preserved (mostly ante- and post-class.): signata sacra, Varr. ap. Non. 397, 32: limina. Prop. 4 (5), 1, 145. Chrysidem negat signatam reddere, i. e. unharmed, intact, pure, Lucil. ap. Non. 171, 6; cf.: assume de viduis fide pulchram, aetate signatam, Tert. Exhort. 12.—
2. (Acc. to II. A.) Plain, clear, manifest (post-class. for significans): quid expressius atque signatius in hanc causam? Tert. Res. Carn. 13.—Adv.: signātē, clearly, distinctly (post-class.): qui (veteres) proprie atque signate locuti sunt, Gell. 2, 6, 6; Macr. S. 6, 7.—Comp.: signatius explicare aliquid, Amm. 23, 6, 1.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*sek-?
  2. Proto-Italic*segnom
  3. Latinsignō

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Proto-Italic *segnāō Latin signō Inherited from Proto-Italic *segnāō, from *segnom + *-āō. By surface analysis, signum (“mark”) + -ō.

Descendants
  • Catalansenyar
  • Italiansegnare
  • Occitansenhar
  • Romaniansemna
  • Spanishseñar
  • Catalansignar
  • Frenchsignerfrom Old French signer
  • Germansignierenfrom Old French signer
  • Englishsignfrom Old French signer
  • Spanishsignar

Quick answers

What does signō mean in Latin?
signō, a verb, means “to mark, sign; to seal, stamp; to statue”.
What are the principal parts of signō?
signō, signāre, signāvī, signātum (first conjugation).
How do you pronounce signō?
In classical Latin, [ˈsɪŋ.noː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈsiɲ.ɲo].
Where does signō come from?
Proto-Indo-European *sek-? → Proto-Italic *segnom → Latin signō.