Etymology Explorer › Latvian

Where does “Tālis” come from?

Tālis (Latvian) comes from Latvian Tālivaldis, from Latvian valdīt, from Proto-Balto-Slavic walˀdā́ˀtei, from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁dʰh₁-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁- — to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool.

Ancestry of “Tālis”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1LatvianTālivaldis—
2Latvianvaldītto govern; to rule; to dominate
3Proto-Balto-Slavicwalˀdā́ˀtei—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂welh₁dʰh₁-—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂welh₁-to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁- →