tale

English

/ˈteɪl/

noun
Definitions
  • An account of an asserted fact or circumstance; a rumour; a report, especially an idle or malicious story; a piece of gossip or slander; a lie.
  • A rehearsal of what has occurred; narrative; discourse; statement; history; story.
  • A number told or counted off; a reckoning by count; an enumeration.
  • (slang) The fraudulent opportunity presented by a confidence man to the mark or victim.
  • (obsolete) Number; tally; quota.
  • (obsolete) Account; estimation; regard; heed.
  • (obsolete) Speech; language.
  • (obsolete) A speech; a statement; talk; conversation; discourse.
  • (legal) A count; declaration.
  • (rare) A number of things considered as an aggregate; sum.
  • (rare) A report of any matter; a relation; a version.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English tale inherited from Old English talu (calculation, story, tale, account, statement, accusation, relation, deposition, series, communication, fable, narrative, action at law, account reckoning, list) inherited from Proto-Germanic *talō (number, calculation) derived from Proto-Indo-European *del- (reckon, count, calculate, adjust, flow, aim).

Origin

Proto-Indo-European

*del-

Gloss

reckon, count, calculate, adjust, flow, aim

Concept
Semantic Field

Modern world

Ontological Category

Action/Process

Emoji

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms