From Old English 'bēacen' (signal), Proto-Germanic *baukną — related to 'beckon'; the Anglo-Saxon beacon system was a military warning network.
A fire or light set up in a high or prominent position as a warning or signal.
From Old English 'bēacen' (sign, signal, portent, standard), from Proto-Germanic *baukną (signal, beacon). The PIE root is uncertain but may connect to *bʰeh₂- (to shine, to appear). Related cognates in West Germanic include Old High