talea

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈtaː.ɫe.a]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈtaː.le.a]^[1]

Forms

tālea f (genitive tāleae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

The origin is unclear.^[2][1] It has been connected with Ancient Greek τᾶλις (tâlis, “girl, bride”), assuming a basic meaning “to sprout”, which de Vaan calls a wild guess; the only alternative he allows is a derivation from tālus “ankle, knuckle”.^[2][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Cato,^[2] who uses it of olive cuttings for planting.^[3] Köbler dates Cato 234–149 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It was a cutting for propagating trees, which Varro says some called clāvola, and a long thin piece of wood or metal, a rod, stake or bar.^[3] Caesar reports that the Britons used iron bars of fixed weight as money, and describes stakes a foot long, set with iron hooks, buried in the ground.^[3][5]

In medieval Latin it was confused with tallia and meant a tally.^[6] In British Latin it was a branch, cutting or shoot.^[7] Late or Medieval Latin tāliāre “to split”, from tālea, led to Old French tailler, whence English tailor, literally “a cutter”.^[8]

Timeline

• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of olive cuttings.^[3][4]
• 116–27 BC – Varro says cuttings were also called clāvolae.^[3][4]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of the iron bars used as money by the Britons.^[3][4]
• late 13th century – English tailor is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. A cutting (for planting); a scion, twig.^[3][1]
2. A rod, stake, bar.^[3]
3. (Medieval Latin) A tally.^[6]

Word family

• tāleola

Related words

• tālus
• English tailor
• English tally
• English talea

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com