Tale v.

Now rare. Forms: 1 talian, 3 talie(n, 4 talen; 3– tale. [OE. talian to reckon, impute, enumerate, = OS. talôn to reckon (MDu. tālen to speak, Du. talen to ask), OHG. zalôn to number, reckon (MHG. zalen, zaln, Ger. zahlen to pay), ON. tala (Sw. tala, Da. tale) to speak, talk, discourse:—OTeut. *talôjan, f. stem tal-: see TALE sb.]

  I.  † 1. trans. To account, reckon, consider (something) to be (so and so). Obs.

c. 897.  K. Ælfred, Gregory’s Past. C., xxxiii. 226. [He] hit ðonne swiðe unaberendlic talað.

a. 900.  trans. Bæda’s Hist., V. xiii. § 3. Nis ðis seo hel, swa ðu talest and wenest.

c. 950.  Lindisf. Gosp., Matt. xxvi. 53. Ðu tales … þæt ic ne mæȝe ȝebidda fader min.

c. 1000.  Wulfstan, Hom., vii. (Napier), 52. He talaþ … hine sylfne wærne and wisne.

c. 1000.  Sax. Leechd., II. 208. Se man … talaþ, þæt he þonne hal sie.

c. 1400.  Cato’s Mor., 100, in Cursor M., p. 1670 (Fairf.). Þai þat talis miche riches maste in nede and bisines beggis in þis life.

  † 2.  To lay to the account of some one, to charge or impute (a thing) to. Only OE.

a. 900.  trans. Bæda’s Hist., II. ix. § 4. Ne tala þu me, þæt ic ne cunne þone intingan þinre unrotnisse.

c. 1000.  Ælfric, Hom. (Thorpe), I. 114. Ne taliȝe nan man his yfelan dæda to Gode.

  † 3.  To reckon, enumerate, relate. Only OE.

c. 950.  Lindisf. Gosp., Matt. Pref. (1887), 5/7. Ðæt æt ægiptum … & ða æfterra … to talanna longsum is.

  4.  To count up; to deal out by number.

  (In quot. 1626 the sense is not clear: cf. TALLY v.¹ 1.)

1626.  B. Jonson, Staple of N., I. iii. Stage Direct. He tales the bils, and puts them vp in his pockets.

1828.  W. Irving, Columbus (1849), III. 135. He … ordered the brawling ruffian to be rewarded with a hundred lashes, which were taled out roundly to him upon the shoulders.

1881.  Miss Jackson, Shropsh. Word-bk., Tale, to count. ‘I tale them ship [= sheep] to forty—’ow many bin a?’

  II.  † 5. trans. To say, speak, utter, tell. Obs.

c. 1205.  Lay., 787. Nan swa unwitti þat word talie … ær he ihere minne horn.

c. 1420.  Chron. Vilod., 2157. And when þis blessud virgyn had talyd tys. Ibid., 3677. Bot he couthe nowther tale ny telle What þat euer was in his þouȝt.

1593.  Q. Eliz., Boethius, III. Met. xi. 69. If Platoes Musis tales the trueth.

  † 6.  intr. To discourse, talk, gossip; to tell (of); to tell tales. Obs.

c. 1205.  Lay., 3800. He[o] taleden wið Morgan.

a. 1225.  Leg. Kath., 795. Þis meiden … toc on toward þeos fif siðe tene to talien o þis wise.

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 356. Þet is eadie scheome þet ich of talie [MS. T spekie].

c. 1374.  Chaucer, Troylus, III. 182 (231). Al þat glade nyght By Troilus he lay with mery chere To tale.

1390.  Gower, Conf., III. 329. The toun therof hath spoke and taled.

c. 1400.  Laud Troy Bk., 14524. Priamus ran to halle a-valed, Ther these kynges to-gedur taled.

a. 1500.  Chaucer’s Dream, 1896. [They] gan reherse Each one to other that they had seene And taling thus [etc.].

  † b.  To shout. Obs.

c. 1205.  Lay., 20857. Hunten þar talieð; hundes þer galieð.

13[?].  K. Alis., 1415 (Bodl. MS.). Þe maryneres crieþ & taleþ, Ancres in to shippe þai haleþ.