Etymograph

English

tael

Tael comes from Portuguese tael, from Malay tahil ‘tael (all senses)’, and ultimately from Old Javanese tahil ‘a particular weight, esp. of gold and silver’.

  1. Old Javanesemoderntahil‘a particular weight, esp. of gold and silver’
  2. Malaymodernsame form‘tael (all senses)’
  3. Portuguesec. 1500–presenttael
  4. Englishtodaysame form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Old Javanesemoderntahil‘a particular weight, esp. of gold and silver’
  2. Malaymodernsame form‘tael (all senses)’
  3. Portuguesec. 1500–presenttael
  4. Englishtodaysame form

Every English word from Old Javanese tahil

Today it means

noun Any of several units of measure used in China and elsewhere in eastern Asia, approximately 40 grams, and metricated in Mainland China as exactly 50 grams.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Old Javanese tahil / tael

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