596: sign and design Jul 26, 2016

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As nouns, 'design' and 'sign' are not necessarily vastly different, but as verbs, the meaning of the words were originally much more similar. In late Middle English the verbal form meant what can now only be expressed with the word 'designate’. 'Sign' however, in Middle English, had a similar meaning to what is has today: 'to mark'.

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