English

protosign

From proto- + sign.

Formed from proto- + sign

Proto-Indo-European *pér ‘through’

Proto-Indo-European *pró ‘forwards, before’

Proto-Hellenic *pró

Ancient Greek πρό ‘before’

Ancient Greek πρῶτος ‘first’

Proto-Italic *segnom

Latin signum ‘a mark’

Old English seġn ‘sign’

Middle English signe

English sign

Today it means

noun Simple gestures that might eventually develop into a sign language system.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / protosign