Etymologically
Log in

talis

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 03:24. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

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

  • 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