To be a sign or indication of something; to mean or represent. It can also mean to communicate or make known through signs or symbols.
From Latin 'significare,' combining 'signum' (sign) and 'facere' (to make). Originally meant 'to make a sign' or 'to indicate by signs,' entering English in the 13th century with the sense of meaning or representation.
Signify literally means 'to make signs' - connecting it to 'signature' (your personal sign) and 'significant' (making important signs)! The word reveals how meaning-making is fundamentally about creating and interpreting signs, whether they're words, gestures, or symbols.
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