Etymology: Probably an alteration (with suffix substitution: see -ant suffix¹) of signifiance n. Compare earlier significance n., signification n., signifying n.Middle French signifiant (see significant adj., adv., and n.) only means ‘that which signifies or indicates something’, and hence is unlikely as etymon of the Middle English word on semantic grounds.

Etymology: < French signifiant, specific use as noun (F. de Saussure a1913: see below; for the bibliographical history of the Cours de linguistique générale, see the note at parole n.²) of present participle of signifier signify v. Compare signifié n., and also earlier signifier n. 1b.Compare:1916 F. de Saussure Cours de Linguistique Générale i. i. 101 Nous appelons signe la combinaison du concept et de l'image acoustique; mais dans l'usage courant ce terme désigne généralement l'image acoustique seule... Nous proposons de conserver le mot signe pour désigner le total, et de remplacer concept et image acoustique respectivement par signifié et signifiant; ces derniers termes ont l'avantage de marquer l'opposition qui les sépare soit entre eux, soit du total dont ils font partie. [I call the combination of a concept and a sound-image a sign, but in current usage the term generally designates only a sound-image... I propose to retain the word sign (signe) to designate the whole and to replace concept and sound-image respectively by signified (signifié) and signifier (signifiant); the last two terms have the advantage of indicating the opposition that separates them from each other and from the whole of which they are parts.] Not fully naturalized in English.