Forms: 1 talu, infl. tale, 2– tale; also 3–5 talle, 3–6 tayle, 4 tayl, taal(e, 4–5 taille, 4–7 tail, 5 tayll(e, 5–6 taill, taile (6 tell(e), 6–9 dial. teale. β. 1–2, 4 tal, 4 tall. [OE. talu, infl. tale, = OFris. tale, OS. tala, MDu., MLG. tāle, Du. taal speech, LG. tāl, OHG. zala, MHG. zal, Ger. zahl number, ON. tala talk, speech, tale, number, Da. tale speech, discourse; all:—OTeut. *talā strong fem., from verbal stem tal-, in taljan, to mention things in their natural or due order, to relate, enumerate, reckon: see TELL v. The ONorthumb. tal and early ME. tal, tall in sense 6, may represent the ON. tal neut. (Sw. tal speech, number, Da. tal number), or the OE. ȝetæl reckoning, number.]
1. † 1. The action of telling, relating, or saying; discourse, conversation, talk. Obs.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Saints’ Lives (1890), II. 210. Seo modor sæt ȝeornlice hlystende hire tale.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 66. Eue heold … longe tale mid te neddre.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 3. Iherde ich holde grete tale An hule and one niȝtingale.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 638. As tulk of tale most trwe.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 1941. He turnyt hym tyte withouten tale more.
a. 1547. Surrey, Æneid, IV. 144. Quene Iuno then thus tooke her tale againe.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., II. iv. 99. Thou desir’st me to stop in my tale against the haire.
† b. An enumeration, a list. Obs. rare.
c. 1050. Gloss., in Wr.-Wülcker, 437/34. Laterculus, talu.
† 2. Speech, language. Obs. rare. (Cf. TAAL.)
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 450. Bigamie is unkinde ðing, On engleis tale, twie-wifing. Ibid., 2526. God schilde hise sowle fro helle bale, Ðe made it ðus on engel tale.
3. That which one tells; the relation of a series of events; a narrative, statement, information.
Thereby hangs a tale (and such phrases): = ‘about that there is something to tell.’ To tell one’s tale: see TELL v.
a. 1060. Charter of Godwine & Leofwine, in Kemble, Cod. Dipl., IV. 266. Ða da him seo talu cuð wæs, ða sende he ȝewrit.
c. 1205. Lay., 24439. Ne mai hit na mon suggen on his tale [c. 1275 in tale].
a. 1300. Cursor M., 24887 (Edin.). Þe angel þus he tald his talle. Ibid. (13[?]), 8697 (Cott.). O þiskin tall [Gött. playnt] him thoght sel-cut[h], Als of a cas þat was vncuth.
1382. Wyclif, Mark i. 28. And the tale [gloss or tything; 1388 fame; Vulg. rumor] of hym wente forth anoon in to al the cuntree of Galilee.
1412–20. Lydg.’s Chron. Troy (Roy. MS.), Rubric bef. l. 1701. Vlixes taile to Achile.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., xx. 105. Vnto vs he takys no tent, bot ilk man trowes into his tayll [rhymes dayll (= dale), hayll, avayll].
c. 1470. Henryson, Mor. Fab., X. (Fox & Wolf), ix. Ane leill man is not tane at half ane taill.
1523. Skelton, Garl. Laurel, 1200. Yet, thoughe I say it, therby lyeth a tale.
1535. Coverdale, 1 Kings i. 14. While thou … talkest with the kynge, I wyll come in after the, and tell forth thy tayle.
1583. Leg. Bp. St. Androis, 363. Sua he … brocht the teale bravelie about.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., IV. i. 60. Gru. Out of their saddles into the durt, and thereby hangs a tale. Curt. Let’s ha’t, good Grumio.
1600. Holland, Livy, V. xxi. 194. But hereto longeth a tale.
1601. Weever, Mirr. Mart., A iij b. One tale is good, untill anothers told.
1722. De Foe, Col. Jack, i. It was a good while before we ever heard tale or tidings of him.
1878. Browning, La Saisiaz, 181. Then my fellow takes the tale up.
1891. E. Peacock, N. Brendon, I. 117. Mr. Tournay told his tale without comment.
† b. The subject of common talk; the ‘talk’ (of the town, etc.). Obs.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 33. Vpbrud in uuel muð tale bimong alle.
1596. Drayton, Leg., iii. 576. I was the Tale of every common Tongue.
c. pl. Things told so as to violate confidence or secrecy; reports of private matters not proper to be divulged; idle or mischievous gossip; esp. in to tell (bear, bring, carry) tales; tales out of school (see SCHOOL sb.1 1 e).
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 334. Be no tellere of talis but trewe to þi lord.
c. 1450. Cov. Myst. (Shaks. Soc.), 353. Now we have golde No talys xul be tolde.
1552. Huloet, Tales to brynge or tell, perfero.
1639. Massinger, Unnat. Combat, I. i. Peace, infant! Tales out of school! Take heed, you will be breeched else.
1716. Ben. Griffin, Humours of Purgatory, I. i., p. 19. You Physicians think dead Men tell no Tales; but I, that am a dead Man, can tell you we are too wise to be kill’d twice over.
1737. L. Clarke, Hist. Bible (1740), I. I. 73. Joseph … told tales of them to his father.
1838. G. P. R. James, Robber, vi. Dead men tell no tales.
1903. Westm. Gaz., 12 Feb., 2/3. Telling tales is reprobated by English public school boys—rightly, in so far as the condemnation is directed against getting others into trouble for your own profit or pleasure.
d. In the same tale, in a (= one) tale, in the same enumeration, statement, or category; hence, in agreement; so in two tales. arch.
c. 1375. Cursor M., 683 (Fairf.). Þe bestes were in samen tale [Cott. war samer-tale] Wit-outen hurt in herde ay hale.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., II. 1656/1. Thou art a false knaue to be in two tales, therfore said he, hang him vp.
1599. Shaks., Much Ado, IV. ii. 33. ’Fore God they are both in a tale.
1642. R. Carpenter, Experience, I. v. 14. Truth must needs be one … and can never be found in two contrary tales.
1860. Reade, Cloister & H., lv. Which did accuse heavenly truth of falsehood for not being in a tale with him.
1887. Lang, Myth, Ritual & Relig., II. 333. The Wesleyan missionary … is in the same tale with the Jesuit.
4. A story or narrative, true or fictitious, drawn up so as to interest or amuse, or to preserve the history of a fact or incident; a literary composition cast in narrative form.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 101. We nime ȝeme of þre þing on þis tale.
c. 1275. Passion our Lord, 1, in O. E. Misc., 37. Ihereþ nv one lutele tale … As we vyndeþ hit iwrite in þe godspelle.
c. 1290. Beket, 1, in S. Eng. Leg., I. 106. Wolle ȝe nouþe i-heore þis englische tale?
1340–70. Alex. & Dind., 190. Tendeþ how þis tale is titeled.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, IX. 576. [He] tald me this taill as I sall tell.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 792. That ech of yow, to shorte with oure weye, In this viage shal telle tales tweye. Ibid., Pard. Prol., 109. For lewed peple louen tales olde.
1483. Caxton, G. de la Tour, F vij. I wold … that ye knewe … the tale of a quene of Fraunce whiche had to name Brunehault.
1546. J. Heywood, Prov. (1867), 67. A good tale yll tolde, in the tellyng is marde.
1606. Sir G. Goosecappe, III. i. E ij. Indeed Sir the best Tales in England are your Canterburie tales I assure ye.
a. 1771. Gray, Dante, 19. Hates the Tale of Troy for Helen’s Sake.
1821. Scott, Kenilw., xvii. They are spoken in a mad tale of fairies, love-charms, and I wot not what besides.
1853. W. Armistead, ‘A Cloud of Witnesses’ against Slavery and Oppression, App. 1. The touching, but too truthful tale of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, has re-kindled the slumbering embers of anti-slavery zeal into active flame.
5. A mere story, as opposed to a narrative of fact; a fiction, an idle tale; a falsehood.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 321. He [Satan] … Wente into a wirme, and tolde eue a tale.
1382. Wyclif, 2 Pet. i. 16. Sotheli we not suynge vnwijse taales, han maad knowun to you the vertu and prescience … of our Lord Jhesu Crist.
1529. More, Dyaloge, IV. Wks. 269/2. Therfore it is but a tale to saye that faith draweth alway good workes with it.
1553. Respublica, 727. Vaine woordes beeth but tales.
1619. Lett., in Eng. & Germ. (Camden), 206. The report of the Marquis of Ansbach his having defeated Coronell Fulkes his regiment (which proves altogeather a tale).
1722. De Foe, Plague, 85. There was more of tale than of truth in those things.
1867. London Herald, 23 March, 222/2. If he had had the sense to … pitch them a tale, he might have got off.
b. In phrases, as a Canterbury Tale, old wives’ tales, pipers’ tales, travellers’ tales, a tale of Robin Hood, of a roasted horse, of a tub (see TUB), etc.
1532. More, Confut. Tindale, Wks. 576/1. Thys is a fayre tale of a tubbe tolde vs of hys electes.
c. 1549. Cranmer, Serm. Rebellion, Wks. (Parker Soc.), II. 198. If we take it for a Canterbury tale, why do we not refuse it?
1575. Gascoigne, Cert. Notes Instruct., in Steele Gl., etc. (Arb.), 36. The verse that is to easie is like a tale of a rosted horse.
c. 1590. Marlowe, Faust., v. 133. Tush, these are trifles and mere old wives’ tales.
1591. Harington, Orl. Fur., XLV. cv. This is a tale indeed of Robinhood, Which to beleeue, might show my wits but weake.
1608. Topsell, Serpents (1658), 778. To interpret these to be either fables and Canterbury tales, or true historicall narrations.
1611. Cotgr., s.v. Cicogne, Contes de la cicogne, idle histories; vaine relations; tales of a tub, or, of a rosted horse.
a. 1641. Bp. Mountagu, Acts & Mon., iii. (1642), 170. Fained leasings and tales of Robin hood.
1724. De Foe, Mem. Cavalier (1840), 97. Having entertained the fellow with a tale of a tub.
c. A thing now existing only in story; a mere matter of history or tradition; a thing of the past.
1780. Burke, Sp. at Bristol, Wks. III. 413. No power … could have prevented a general conflagration; and at this day London would have been a tale.
1855. B. Taylor, Poems Orient, On the Sea. The world we leave is a tale untold.
1916[?]. Marie A. Czaplicka, My Siberian Year, vi. 128. Thoroughly warmed now and sated, the memory of the last twelve hours seemed as dim as that of a half-remembered tale.
II. 6. Numerical statement or reckoning; enumeration, counting, numbering; number.
c. 1200. Ormin, 4324–5. Ȝiff þu þise taless kannst Inntill an tale sammnenn.
c. 1205. Lay., 7397. Swa fele þat nuste na man þe tale.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 8100. Folc also wiþoute tale.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxvi. (Nycholas), 237. Þe quhet deliueryt hale in quantyte, mesur & tale.
c. 1450. Hymns Virg., 122/165. Alle the stonys grett and smale Thatt byth in erthe withoutyn tale.
1594. Carew, Tasso (1881), 15. Equall in tale, nor lesse in value tride.
1674. N. Fairfax, Bulk & Selv., 39. Nothing with-holds, but that from an infinite tale of finites there may at length arise an infinite.
1691. Locke, Lower. Interest, Wks. 1727, II. 53. If you make your Money less in Weight, it must be made up in Tale.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Past., III. 51. Once she takes the tale of all the Lambs.
1722. De Foe, Plague, 97. An exact tale of the dead bodies.
1780. Johnson, Lett. to Mrs. Thrale, 1 May. There were … Lord Monboddo, and Sir Joshua, and ladies out of tale.
1826. G. S. Faber, Diffic. Romanism (1853), p. liii. The goodly tale of folios … which now decorate or crowd my penetralè.
1862. Trollope, N. Amer., I. xi. 249. By measures of forty bushels each, the tale is kept.
β. c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Matt. xiv. 21. Ðæra etendra … tal [manducantium numerus]. Ibid., John vi. 10. ȝesetton uutudlice ueras of tal suelce fifo ðusendo.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 7174. O þat heþen folk he feld A thusand þat wit tal was teld.
b. By tale: as determined by counting individual objects or articles; by number; as distinguished from by weight, by measure.
c. 1205. Lay., 27606. Fir hundred bi tale.
c. 1300. Havelok, 2026. He weren bi tale sixti and ten.
13[?]. Guy Warw. (A.), 3430. Bi tale .xx. thousend hauberks of stiel.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, XIII. ix. 623. Thenne fond they by the tale an honderd and fyfty.
1529. More, Dyaloge, III. iv. Wks. 212. To way them rather then take them by tale.
1594. Plat, Jewell-ho., III. 75. Where oysters are … sold by tale.
1776. Adam Smith, W. N., I. iv. (1869), I. 27. This money … was, for a long time, received at the exchequer by weight and not by tale.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xxii. IV. 695. The second of May, had been fixed … as the last day on which the clipped crowns … were to be received by tale in payment of taxes.
7. The number or amount made up, or to be made up or accounted for; the number all told; the complete sum, enumeration, or list.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 42. And siggen þenne hire tale of auez.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 2891. Hem-seluen he fetchden ðe chaf,… And ðoȝ holden ðe tiȝeles tale.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 18627. Four thusand yere, þat was þe tale, And four hundret and four al hale.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), IV. 427. For Nero somtyme wolde wite þe tale and þe nombre of Iewes þat were at Ierusalem.
1539. Bible (Great), Exod. v. 18. Yet shal ye delyuer the hole tale of brycke.
1584. Fenner, Def. Ministers (1587), 10. In generall and whole tale, we will allowe that, part whereof in the particular and seuerall parcelles wee will gayn-say.
1611. Bible, 1 Sam. xviii. 27. They gaue them in full tale to the king.
a. 1732. T. Boston, Crook in Lot (1805), 98. The one has multiplied the tale of their good works.
1790. Burke, Fr. Rev., 196. He will hardly be able to make up his tale of thirty millions of souls.
1864. Sir F. Palgrave, Norm. & Eng., III. 70. They had a fair tale of children.
1884. May Crommelin, Brown-Eyes, xiii. Saddened at the increasing tale of years and months.
† 8. An account, a reckoning of numbers (of money given and received, etc.). Obs.
1401. Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 73. Ȝe wolden that there where oon lesse, Ȝe ȝaue neuer tale.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 197 b/1. They moche doubted that they shold not fynde theyr counte ne tale.
1573. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 173. Giue tale and take count, is a huswifelie point.
1602. Carew, Cornwall, I. 33. They keepe a iust tale of the number that euery hogshead contayneth.
1755. Smollett, Quix. (1803), II. 8. The tale and account of what was both sowed and reaped, passed through my hands.
1806–7. J. Beresford, Miseries Hum. Life (1826), vi. 116. You might just as well require me to deliver in a tale of all the pores in my skin.
† 9. Reckoning of value; account, estimation, esteem, regard; in phrases, as to hold (make, give, tell) no tale of: to hold of no account. Obs.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 147. Þet he telle swa lutel tale þer of; þet he hit nawicht ne luuie.
c. 1205. Lay., 12764. Þæt nis [MS. mis] þer bileued wel neh nan Þæt auere beo æi [c. 1275 eni] tale on.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 7554. Quen golias on him bi-held, Ful littel tale of him he teld [Trin. litil he set bi him]. Ibid., 10980. He sale Bicum a man of mikel tale [Trin. a greet mon].
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. I. 9. Of oþer heuene þen heer holde þei no tale.
c. 1400. Laud Troy Bk., 3923. Dyomedes ȝaf no tale Off alle that sat there In that sale.
1496. Dives & Paup. (W. de W.), I. vii. 38/2. The goodes of this worlde … they gaaf no grete tale thereof.
III. 10. attrib. and Comb.: attrib., as tale-book, -faculty, -monger, -story; obj. and obj. gen., as tale-forger, -gatherer, -maker, -writer; tale-gathering, -spinning, -writing sbs. and adjs.; also tale-carrier = TALEBEARER; † tale-craft, numeration, arithmetic; † tale-fish, a fish of such size as to be sold by tale; tale-hearer, a willing listener to scandal or gossip; tale-master, the authority for a report; † tale-money, money reckoned by the tale, i.e., by counting pieces or coins taken at their nominal value, not by weight; tale-piet, a chattering ‘magpie’; a tell-tale (dial.); tale-wright, a constructor or maker of tales. See also TALEBEARER, TALE-TELLER, etc.
1628. Prynne, Brief Suruay, Epist. A ij. For the inhibiting and suppressing of all scurrilous and prophane Play-books, Ballads, Poems, and *Tale-bookes whatsoeuer.
1552. Huloet, Tale bearer or *carier, rumigerulus.
1592. Nashe, P. Penilesse, 35. Spirits called spies and tale-carriers.
1643. Prynne, Sov. Power Parl., App. 32. Common Tale-carriers, and accustomed to talke of trifling matters.
1674. N. Fairfax, Bulk & Selv., 110. Nothing better is it, than pumping two out of one, or taking the greater number out of the rest, in *Talecraft or Arithmetick.
1677. W. Hughes, Man of Sin, III. iii. 100. Forraign Authors have not the Monopoly of the *Tale faculty neither.
1482. Rolls of Parlt., VI. 222/1. That *tale fissh shuld not be pakked with the lesse fissh called Grilles,… and that the same tale fissh shuld conteigne in lengeth … xxvi ynches.
1553. Becon, Reliques of Rome (1563), 198. It is a harde thing for lyers and taleforgers to agree.
1711. Shaftesb., Charac. (1737), I. 350. We may often see a philosopher, or a wit, run a *tale-gathering in those idle desarts.
1647. Trapp, Comm. Matt. xviii. 16. The tale-bearer and the *tale-hearer are both of them abominable, and shut out of heaven.
1810. Splendid Follies, I. 183. The variety of grimaces exhibited by the tale-bearer and the tale-hearers.
1483. Cath. Angl., 377/2. A *Tale maker, fabulo.
1897. Q. Rev., July, 107. The sale-processes of *tale-makers.
a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies, General, xxiii. (1662), 64. I tell you my Tale and my *Tale-master, which is essential to the begetting of credit to any Relation.
1758. Jos. Harris, Coins, II. ii. 50. Increasing the quantity of *tale-money, by giving the old names to smaller pieces of silver. Ibid., 70. All artificial methods of increasing tale-money are … pernicious.
1613. Answ. Uncasing of Machivils Instr., E ij. Rather for thy quiets sake, liue with bread, Then mongst *talemongers seeke to be fed.
1796. W. Marshall, Yorksh. (ed. 2). Gloss., *Teyl-peyat, or Tel-pie, a tell-tale … one who divulges secrets; spoken chiefly of children.
1816. Scott, Antiq., iv. Never mind me, sir, I am no tale-pyet.
1895. Crockett, Men of Moss-Hags, xiii. A Gordon—Covenant or no Covenant—is no tale-piet.
a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies, Wilts. (1662), III. 158. Such a Medly Cloth is the *Tale-story of this Clothier.
1570–6. W. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 326. This Clerkly μυθοπλάστης, this *Talewright (I say) and Fableforger.
1904. Daily Chron., 11 May, 4/6. A *tale-writer who moves through the magazines.
1837. Ht. Martineau, Soc. Amer., III. 213. *Tale-writing is her forte.
