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tellement

Etymology and origin of the French word tellement

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 1274, Adenet le Roi, Berte (telement)
Ultimate origin
Latin (tālis)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /tɛl.mɑ̃/[1]

Forms

tellement[1] Old French telement.[2][1]

Etymology

It is from French tel + -ment, formed on the feminine.[2][3][4] “Tel” continues Latin tālis (“such”).[5] Compare Italian talmente and Old Occitan talment.[3][1]

The GLLF finds “telement” as early as the late 12th century, in the “Chevalerie Ogier”, a century before the TLFi's first record.[6][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLFi's first record is Adenet le Roi's Berte (about 1274), where telement… que means “in such a way that”: Pour ce que la vouloit telement esmaier Qu'ele ne desist mot (“because he wanted to frighten her so that she would not say a word”).[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Oresme's telement quelement (about 1370) meant “after a fashion, so-so”.[2][3] The sense of degree, tellement que “to such a point that”, appears in 1482, and tellement with an adjective and que in Robert Estienne (1549).[2] Used alone to mark intensity it is in Michelet (1847), and pas tellement “not much” in Aragon (1936).[6] The old sense of manner is now archaic or literary.[7]

Timeline

  • late 12th century – Telement in the Chevalerie Ogier.[6]
  • c. 1274 – Telement… que in Adenet le Roi.[2]
  • c. 1370 – Telement quelement in Oresme.[2]
  • 1482 – Tellement que “to such a point that”.[2]
  • 1847 – Intensity alone, in Michelet.[6]
  • 1936 – Pas tellement in Aragon.[6]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. So, so much, to such a degree: un spectacle tellement original.[7][8]
  2. Tellement… que: so… that: il allait tellement vite qu'il ne nous a pas vus.[7][9]
  3. Tellement de: so much, so many.[1]
  4. (familiar) Giving a reason: il ne viendra pas, tellement il est fatigué.[1][6]
  5. (familiar) Pas tellement: not much, not really.[9][7]
  6. (archaic or literary) In such a way (that).[7][3]
  7. (archaic) Tellement quellement: after a fashion.[3][2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c d e f Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  9. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
Cite this entry

“Tellement.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/tellement. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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