túl

Forms

túl^[1]

Etymology

It is a fossilized case form.^[2][3][4] Its base is the distal pronoun stem inherited from Proto-Uralic *to (“that”), also found in távol, tavaly, tova and tékozol; the ending is the ablative suffix -l.^[5][4][1] It is thus built like that adverb, and ÚESz, EWUng and Zaicz think that both adverbs split from a single form.^[3][6][4] The pronoun stem has cognates such as Finnish tuo (“that”), Estonian too, Erzya tona, Moksha tona and Northern Sami duot.^[7]

The long /uː/ is explained by the loss of an old lative suffix ⟨-á⟩ or of a ⟨v⟩ inside the Proto-Hungarian word, and the contraction of the diphthong that resulted.^[5][3][6] TESz rejects an older explanation as a compound of the distal pronoun with a noun val (“region”).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

A derivative tvvly of 1231 may belong here, but it may also be a record of tavalyi.^[5][3] The derivative túlsó “farther” appears in the place name Tulso Borsva of 1341, known from later copies.^[2][3] The word itself is first recorded about 1476 as twlbelwl, in the sense “there, on the far side, opposite”.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The word was first an adverb with an ablative sense, “from there”; the locative sense “there, beyond” arose by the change of function common in the old case suffixes, as in közel, távol and onnan.^[5][3][6] From the adverb a postposition developed, used only with a noun in a case ending: iordan vizen twl “beyond the river Jordan” in the Veszprém Codex of about 1512.^[3][6] As a postposition it came to mean “beyond” in space (about 1512), “past” a point in time (about 1518 in ÚESz; 1604 in TESz), “besides” (1513 in TESz, 1575 in ÚESz), “above” something (1682) and “beyond a measure” (1808).^[2][3] The adverbial sense “too, excessively” appears only in 1839, in Széchenyi.^[2][3]

As a preverb túl- was used much by Bercsényi Miklós, Rákóczi's general, to whom five of the six examples in the NySz belong;^[8] Szily credits its spread to Faludi, who has túlhagy and túllép.^[8] The language reform made many compounds with it: túlvilág “the other world” (Kazinczy, 1811), túlsúly (1835), túlbuzgó (Széchenyi, 1841).^[9][8] EWUng allows for models such as German Übergewicht and übereifrig in compounds of this kind.^[6] The derivatives túlság (1816), túloz “to exaggerate” (1828) and túlzás (1831) are words of the language reform.^[5][4]

Timeline

• 1231 – tvvly, perhaps a derivative of túl, perhaps of tavaly.^[2][3]
• 1341 – Tulso Borsva, a place name with túlsó, known from later copies.^[2][3]
• c. 1476 – twlbelwl “there, beyond”.^[2][3]
• c. 1512 – iordan vizen twl “beyond the Jordan”, the first postpositional use, in the Veszprém Codex.^[3][6]
• 1519 – as a noun, “the far side of something”, in the Jordánszky Codex.^[2][3]
• 1541 – tulso as an adjective in Sylvester.^[2]
• 1811 – túlvilág “the other world”, Kazinczy.^[9]
• 1816 – túlság.^[2]
• 1828 – túloz “to exaggerate”.^[2][3]
• 1839 – túl “too, excessively”, in Széchenyi.^[2][3]
• 1863 – túlontúl “far too much”.^[3][4]

Meanings

Adverb

1. On the far side, beyond, at some distance: Túl, a hegyek mögött is laknak.; contrasted with innen, over there.^[10][1]
2. too, excessively: more than is right, before an adjective or adverb: túl drága, túl sokáig.^[10][1]

Postposition

1. With the suffix -n: on the other side of, beyond: a Dunán túl, a hegyen túl.^[10][1]
2. Past a point in time or an age: túl van az ötvenen “he is over fifty”.^[10][11]
3. Beyond a measure or limit: mértéken túl.^[10][11]

Word family

• túlsó
• túlság
• túloz
• túlzás
• túlságos
• túlontúl
• túlvilág
• túlsúly
• túlél
• túllép

Related words

• távol
• tavaly
• tova

Usage notes

Dialect forms include tú and tull, and túlnan, túnan and many similar forms for “on the far side”.^[2][3] The ÉrtSz treats the adverb “too” as a separate headword, túl 2; the etymological dictionaries treat it as a sense of the same word.^[10][2][3] The phrase Tiszán túl names the region east of the Tisza, and Dunán túl Transdanubia.^[10][11]

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 k l m n o Benkő, Loránd (ed.) (1967–1976), A magyar nyelv történeti-etimológiai szótára, 3 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 3, 997
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Gerstner, Károly (ed.) (2006–), Új magyar etimológiai szótár, Budapest: Nyelvtudományi Kutatóközpont; online at uesz.nytud.hu
4. ^ a b c d e Zaicz, Gábor (ed.) (2006), Etimológiai szótár: magyar szavak és toldalékok eredete, Budapest: Tinta Könyvkiadó
5. ^ a b c d e f Benkő, Loránd (ed.) (1967–1976), A magyar nyelv történeti-etimológiai szótára, 3 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 3, 998
6. ^ a b c d e f Benkő, Loránd (ed.) (1993–1997), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Ungarischen, 3 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 1600
7. ^ Rédei, Károly (ed.) (1986–1991), Uralisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó / Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz; online as Uralonet, uralonet.nytud.hu
8. ^ a b c Szily, Kálmán (1902–1908), A magyar nyelvújítás szótára, 2 vols., Budapest: Hornyánszky, p. 349
9. ^ a b Szily, Kálmán (1902–1908), A magyar nyelvújítás szótára, 2 vols., Budapest: Hornyánszky, p. 595
10. ^ a b c d e f g Bárczi, Géza; Országh, László (eds.) (1959–1962), A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára, 7 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online at ertelmezo.oszk.hu
11. ^ a b c Czuczor, Gergely; Fogarasi, János (1862–1874), A magyar nyelv szótára, 6 vols., Pest: Emich Gusztáv / Athenaeum