Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “tale” come from?

Tale comes from Middle English tale, from Old English talian, from Proto-Germanic talō, from Proto-Indo-European del-.

tale (English): An account of an asserted fact or circumstance; a...

Definitions

  1. An account of an asserted fact or circumstance; a...

Ancestry of “tale”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishtale—
2Old Englishtaluaccount, reckoning; tale; narration
3Proto-West Germanic*talu—
4Proto-Germanictalōnarration, report; assessment, judgment;...
5Proto-Indo-Europeandel-to aim, calculate, adjust, count; to reckon,...

Words derived from “tale”

  • telltale
  • folktale
  • tattletale
  • talebearer
  • talebearing
  • talesman
  • taleteller
  • taletelling
  • talelike
  • carrytale
  • taleful
  • foretale
  • talebook
  • midtale
Every word from Proto-Indo-European del- →