talis

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈtaː.lɪs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈtaː.lis]^[1]

Forms

tālis (neuter tāle, adverb tāliter); third-declension two-termination adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *tāli-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *teh₂-li- (“such”), from the demonstrative stem *to-.^[2][3][1] Cognate with Ancient Greek τηλίκος (tēlíkos, “of such an age”), Lithuanian tolei (“until”) and Old Church Slavonic толь (tolĭ, “so much”).^[2][4] It pairs with the relative quālis “of which kind”.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus, who says that age likes to play such games.^[2][3] Köbler dates it from Ennius.^[5] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant of such a kind, referring to what the context states, and summing up what was just said.^[3] Pregnantly it was “such a fine (or bad) one”, as Terence's “should I not weep for such a young man?”^[3] It was used with a correlative quālis, as Cicero's eloquence such as was in Crassus, and with a clause of result, as Cicero's man who was such that he deserved well of the people.^[3]

Its derivative tāliō “retaliation in kind” gave English retaliate in the 1610s.^[2][6] It survives in Italian tale, French tel and Spanish tal.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus says that age likes to play such games.^[3][5]
• 190–159 BC – Terence asks whether he should not weep for such a young man.^[3][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero pairs it with quālis.^[3][5]
• 1610s – English retaliate is recorded.^[6]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Such, of such a kind.^[3]
2. Such (as described just before).^[3]
3. Such (an excellent or bad one).^[3]
4. tālis ... quālis, such ... as.^[3]
5. Such (that), with a clause of result.^[3]

Word family

• taliscumque
• tāliō
• tāliter

Related words

• quī
• quālis
• tantus
• English retaliate

Usage notes

Tālīs is also the dative and ablative plural of tālus “ankle; knucklebone”.^[1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d 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 j k l m n Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com