Where does “talent” come from?
talent (Old French) comes from Latin talentum, from Ancient Greek τάλαντον, from Proto-Indo-European tl̥h₂ent-, from Proto-Indo-European telh₂- — to bear, to undergo, to endure; ground, bottom.
talent (Old French): desire; wish
Definitions
- desire; wish
Ancestry of “talent”, step by step
talent traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Latin talentum
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | talentum | A Grecian weight, which contained sixty minae or... |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | τάλαντον | balance, scale; anything weighed |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | tl̥h₂ent- | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | telh₂- | to bear, to undergo, to endure; ground, bottom |
via Classical Latin talentum
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Classical Latin | talentum | — |