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Anglo-Saxon

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talu

  • noun [ feminine ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
talu, e; and indecl.; f.
Wright's OE grammar
§57; §276; §366;
a tale, talk, story, account
Show examples

  • Leáses spelles talu

    constellatio (cf. Span. constelacion prognostication of the stars ),

    • Wrt. Voc. ii. 20, 68.
  • Ðá sprǽcon hí betwux him, and seó módor sæt hlystende hire tale ... Ðá se gingra bróðor ðis eall gehýrde fram ðam yldran bróðor hé sǽde: 'Ic eom ðín bróðor be ðí[n]re tale,'
    • Homl. Skt. ii. 30, 319-337.

  • Ðæt se Ælmihtiga God gehýre ða talu ðe Syria cyning ásende tó hospe and tó edwíte his micclan mægenðrymme (

    si forte audiat Dominus universa verba Rabsacis, quem misit rex Assyriorum, ut exprobrare Deum viventem,

    • 2 Kings 19, 4
      • ),
    • Homl. Th. i. 568, 27.

  • Mé ða treahteras tala wísedon,

    • Salm. Kmbl. 10;
    • Sal. 5.
talk, discussion, dispute
Show examples

  • Tale(-u?)

    disputatio, contentio, litigatio,

    • Hpt. Gl. 481, 60.

  • Tale

    disputationis, dissensionis,

    • 439, 57:

    disputationis, certationis,

    • 459, 60.
a charge, claim
Show examples

  • Ða heáhsacerdas sóhton tale ágén ðone Hǽlend

    summi sacerdotes quaerebant aduersum Iesum testimonium,

    • Mk. Skt. 14, 55.

  • Se ðe nánum ne derede, him man dyde talu, and hé wæs beswungen unscyldig for ús,

    • Basil admn. 4;
    • Norm. 42, 27.

  • Ðæt ǽlcere neóde beládung sý ádilegod ðæt hý þurh neóde náne tale tó syndrigre ǽhte næbben

    that the excuse of necessity may be removed, so that they may not have any claim to private property on the ground of necessity,

    • R. Ben. 92, 5.

  • Hé begeat swíðe mycelne sceatt of his mannan ðǽr he mihte ǽnige teale tó habban oððe mid rihte oððe elles

    where, rightly or otherwise, he could advance any claim to what he exacted,

    • Chr. 1085;
    • Erl. 219, 11.
an excuse, a defence
Show examples

  • Míne gebróðra, hwilcere tale máge wé brúcan on his dóme, nú wé nellaþ búgan fram woruldlufe?

    • Homl. Th. i. 580, 2: Lchdm. iii. 442, 3.

  • Ðæt hý náne tale næbben, ðæt hý þurh nytennesse misfón þurfen,

    • 442, 10.

  • Nabbe wé náne tale ongén ðé

    we have no excuse to offer you;

    quid juste poterimus obtendere?

    • Gen. 44, 16.

  • Hé ne mihte náne tale findan

    he could not devise any defence,

    • Homl. Skt. i. 23, 624.

  • Gif hé his yfelan dǽda mid leásum talum bewarian wile

    si defendere uoluerit opera sua,

    • R. Ben. 52, 10.
as a law term, a case (as regards either plaintiff or defendant), an action, cf. sprǽc
Show examples

  • Ongan tó specenne on ðat land ... Ðam cynge seó tale cúð wæs,

    • Chart. Th. 302, 16.

  • Édwine spæc on his ágene módor æfter sumon dǽle landes ... Ðá ácsode þe bisceop, hwá sceolde andswerian for his módor. Ðá sǽde Durcil Hwíta, ðæt hé sceolde, gif hé ða talu cúðe. Ðá hé ða talu ná ne cúðe, ðá sceáwode man þreó þegnas ðǽr ðǽr heó wæs ... Ðá ácsodon heó, hwylce talu heó hæfde ymbe ða land ... Ðá sǽde heó, ðæt heó nán land hæfde, ðe him áht tó gebyrede,

    • 337, 2-24.

  • Tale wyrðe

    entitled to bring an action,

    • 266, 11.
a tale, list, series
Show examples

  • Talu

    laterculus,

    • Wrt. Voc. ii. 53, 23.

  • Ða talo

    canones,

    • Mt. Kmbl. p. 2, 18.
Etymology
[
O. Sax. gér-tala
:
O. Frs. tale
a (legal) case:
O. H. Ger. zala
numerus, series, catalogus, sententia, calculatio, supputatio:
Icel. tala
talk; tale, number.]
Similar entries
v. bóc-, folc-, hrægl-, of-, on-, rím-, tó-, wiðer-talu.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “talu.” In An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary Online, edited by Thomas Northcote Toller, Christ Sean, and Ondřej Tichy. Prague: Faculty of Arts, Charles University, 2014. https://bosworthtoller.com/30197.

Checked: 1
Full form

Word-wheel

  • talu, n.

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