Where does “tall” come from?
Tall comes from Old English tæl, from Proto-Germanic talaz, from Proto-Indo-European del-, a root of uncertain meaning.
tall (English): Having a vertical extent greater than the...
Definitions
- Having a vertical extent greater than the...
Ancestry of “tall”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | tall | — |
| 2 | Old English | tæl | evil-speaking, calumny, disparagement, slander |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | talaz | pliable, bendsome; submissive, hearsome, quick to... |
| 4 | Ottoman Turkish | طالاز | billow, breaker, any large and foaming wave or undulating mass of water |
| 5 | Old Anatolian Turkish | طلز | hurricane, storm |
| 6 | Greek | θάλασσα | sea; storm |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | θάλασσα | sea; the Mediterranean Sea; channel |