Seþíðar

Señar is a verb in Spanish whose meaning is to signal or indicate by signs, to gesture, or to point out a direction or object. It is not common in modern standard Spanish and is usually found in older texts, literary works, or regional speech. In everyday language, speakers typically prefer señalar, indicar, or mostrar to express similar ideas, or use the phrase dar señas for the act of giving signs.

Etymology: Señar comes from seña, “sign” or “signal,” which in turn derives from the cognate Latin signum. The verb shares a semantic field with the related noun señas and with la palabra señal, all of which pertain to signaling and indication.

Usage and register: Because señar is largely historical or regional, its appearance can mark a text as archaic or dialectal. It may occur with senses related to making gestures, signaling someone, or marking or indicating something by signs. In standard modern Spanish, señar is typically avoided in favor of more common verbs, but it can be found in linguistic or philological discussions when describing older usage or dialectal varieties.

See also: seña, señal, señalar.