Senyal

Senyal is a Catalan noun meaning a sign, indication, or signal. It designates any mark or cue that conveys information, such as a physical sign, a device that communicates a message, or a symptom observed in medicine. The term can refer to tangible objects like traffic signs, as well as abstract indicators in data or events.

Etymology: The word derives from Latin signālum, via Romance languages. It is cognate with the Spanish señal and the French signal, reflecting common roots in the Latin signum used to designate marks or indications.

Uses: In daily life, senyal appears in compounds such as senyal de trànsit (traffic signal) and senyal d'avís or senyal d'alerta (warning sign). In medicine, senyal clínic denotes a clinical sign. In biology, computing, and telecommunications, it can refer to a signal used for communication or control, such as a radio signal or a system signal. The concept also covers indicators in data analysis or experimental results, where a pattern or marker acts as a signal within noise.

See also: The term is part of a broader family of words describing communication and indication, including related terms in other Romance languages and technical vocabularies for signaling systems.