tale Italian · revision 38356

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 12th century, Ritmo laurenziano|origins=ine-pro *to-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈta.le/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''tale''' ''m'' or ''f'' (plural ''tali''); often shortened to ''tal'' before a consonant.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|tālis|t=of such a kind]], from the accusative “tālem”.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The Latin word was in wide use, often paired with [[m|la|quālis|t=of what kind]] and alliterating with [[m|la|tantus|t=so great]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) Nocentini takes it, like “tantus” and [[m|la|tot|t=so many]], from the PIE demonstrative [[ine-pro|*to-]]; de Vaan reconstructs [[itc-pro|*tāli-]] and [[m|ine-pro|*teh₂-li-|t=such]], comparing [[grc|τηλίκος|tr=tēlíkos|t=of such an age]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(de Vaan 2008) DELI, however, finds the exact formation obscure, and mentions Alinei's view that “tālis” “identical” comes from [[m|la|tālus|t=knucklebone, die]].^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The word is found throughout the Romance languages: [[fr|tel]], [[oc|tal]], [[ca|tal]], [[es|tal]], [[pt|tal]], [[sc|tale]] and [[ro|tare]], which has come to mean “strong, hard”.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Körting 1907)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first records are from the end of the 12th century, in Raimbaut de Vaqueiras and in the Ritmo laurenziano, with the sense “of this or that kind”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Dante used ''tale'' for “so great”, for likeness in the pair ''tale … tale'' (1308) and as an indefinite word for an unnamed person (1308), the ancestor of modern ''un tale'', “a certain man”.^(DELI 1999) The old plural had the forms ''tai'' and ''ta’'', as in Petrarch's ''tra duo ta’ nemici'', between two such enemies.^(GDLI)^(Gabrielli 2020) ''Quel tale'', for a person already mentioned, is recorded in Tommaseo (1879).^(DELI 1999)

+

+ Compounds with ''tale'' became everyday adverbs: ''talvolta'' (1293–1294, Dante), ''talora'' (Dante), ''talmente'' (1525, Bembo), ''talché'' (before 1527, Machiavelli) and the pronoun ''taluno'' (17th century).^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) The older ''cotale'' (1219) comes from Latin ''eccum tālem'', “just such”.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 12th century – Raimbaut de Vaqueiras and the Ritmo laurenziano have the first records.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1219 – ''Cotale'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1293–1294 – Dante uses ''talvolta''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1308 – Dante uses ''tale'' for an unnamed person.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1525 – Bembo uses ''talmente''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1679 – Segneri uses ''taluno''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1879 – ''Quel tale'' is recorded in Tommaseo's dictionary.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|such]], of this kind: ''Non mi aspettavo una tale risposta.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # So great, with ''che'' or ''da'' introducing the result, or in exclamations: ''Aveva una tale sete che bevve tutta la bottiglia.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # In correlation with another ''tale'' or with ''quale'', expresses identity or close likeness: ''tale e quale'' (exactly the same), ''tale padre, tale figlio'' (like father, like son).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # This, that, the aforementioned: ''In tali casi conviene chiamare un medico.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(indefinite)'' A certain, some: ''un tal signor Rossi''.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # ''(indefinite)'' Someone, a certain person: ''Ti ha cercato un tale, ma non ha lasciato il nome.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Quel tale'', ''quella tale'': the person already mentioned, ''il tal dei tali'', so-and-so.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[talché]]

+ * [[talmente]]

+ * [[talora]]

+ * [[taluno]]

+ * [[talvolta]]

+ * [[talaltro]]

+ * [[cotale]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[quale]]

+ * [[tanto]]

+ * [[la|tālis]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Before a consonant ''tale'' is often shortened to ''tal'' (''in tal caso''), and the short form is never written with an apostrophe.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}