talk

English

/tɔːk/, /tɔk/, /tɑk/, /toːk/

verb
Definitions
  • (intransitive) To communicate, usually by means of speech.
  • (transitive) To discuss; to talk about.
  • (transitive) To speak (a certain language).
  • (transitive) Used to emphasise the importance, size, complexity etc. of the thing mentioned.
  • (intransitive) To confess, especially implicating others.
  • (intransitive) To criticize someone for something of which one is guilty oneself.
  • (intransitive) To gossip; to create scandal.
  • (informal) To influence someone to express something, especially a particular stance or viewpoint or in a particular manner.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English talken inherited from Old English tealcian (talk, chat) inherited from Proto-Germanic *talkōną (chatter, talk), *talōną (count, tell, recount, reckon) derived from Proto-Indo-European *dol- (calculation, fraud, reckoning) affix from English tell.

Origin

English

tell

Gloss

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms