“Betoken” comes from the Old English verb “betācnian,” meaning “to signify.” This term is one of numerous verbs that mean “to be a sign of.” Other verbs include “denote,” “foreshadow,” “forebode,” “foreshow,” “indicate,” and “signify.” The nouns “portent” and “omen” share similar meanings of warning. Long before modern meteorologists, sailors trusted the color of the sky to betoken the coming weather. As the old adage goes, “Red sky at night, sailors’ delight. Red sky at morning, sailors take warning.” Essentially, a reddish sky at dusk was supposed to indicate that a storm system had passed, which boded well for the following day’s weather. By contrast, a red-tinged sky at dawn often meant a storm system was approaching from the west.