taille French · revision 16760

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=back-formation|attested=c. 1140, Gaimar (par taille)|origins=la tālea}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /taj/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /tɑj/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''taille''' ''f'' (plural tailles)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a deverbal noun [[der|fro|taillier|t=to cut]] (modern [[tailler]]),^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary) which continues [[la-vul|*tāliō|t=to cut]], probably derived from [[la|tālea|t=cutting, slip for planting]], so that it must first have been a farming word; compare Late Latin [[m|la|intertāliō|t=to prune]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(REW 1935)

+

+ The tax sense comes from the tally, a stick split in two and notched .^(TLFi) The sense “stature” comes from the past participle [[taillé]] said of a well-built person, Bloch and Wartburg say it was born among sculptors.^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Compare [[it|taglia]], [[ca|talla]], [[es|talla]] and [[pt|talha]].^(Wiktionary)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Geffrei Gaimar's ''Estoire des Engleis'' (about 1140) has ''par taille'' “by estimate”, Wace (1160–74) uses it for a tax.^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The tax called ''la taille'', a direct tax of the Ancien Régime, gave [[taillable]] (1238) and ''taillon'' (1552).^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary) The word also named the tally stick on which a tradesman and a customer notched their account (about 1188).^(TLFi)

+

+ From the idea of cutting came carving (about 1165), the cut of clothes (Chrétien de Troyes, 1176), ''pierre de taille'' “dressed stone” (about 1298), the incisions of an engraver (1621) and the pruning of fruit trees (1562).^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007) The sense “height, stature” (about 1223) led to “size” in general, ''de taille'' “very large” (1957), and the waist: the body from shoulders to hips (Scarron, 1657), the narrow part between ribs and hips (Fénelon, 1718), then the waist of a garment (1839) and a woman's bodice (1842).^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) In old vocal music ''taille'' was the tenor part.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1140 – “Estimate”, Gaimar.^(TLFi)

+ * 1160–74 – A tax, Wace.^(TLFi)

+ * 1176 – The cut of clothes, Chrétien de Troyes.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1188 – A tally stick.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1223 – “Stature”.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * c. 1298 – ''Pierre de taille'', Marco Polo's book.^(TLFi)

+ * 1657 – “Waist”, Scarron.^(TLFi)

+ * 1957 – ''De taille'' “very big”.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Cutting, [[m|en|pruning]], trimming; the way a thing is cut: ''la taille de la vigne'', ''la taille d'un diamant'', ''pierre de taille'', ashlar.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Height, [[m|en|stature]]: ''personne de petite taille''; figuratively, stature, calibre.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # [[m|en|size]]: ''de la taille de'', as big as, ''de taille'', considerable, ''être de taille à'', to be up to; clothing size: ''quelle est votre taille ?''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # The [[m|en|waist]]; the waistline of a garment: ''tour de taille'', ''taille de guêpe'', a wasp waist.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # ''(history)'' A direct tax of the Ancien Régime; [[m|en|tallage]].^(Wiktionary)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ # ''(baroque music)'' The tenor part.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[taillable]]

+ * [[taillon]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[tailler]]

+ * [[tailleur]]

+ * [[entaille]]

+ * [[détail]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}