szál

Of debated origin:^[1][2]

1. From Proto-Finno-Ugric *śalkɜ (“pole, rod, tree-trunk”),^[3] ultimately possibly from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰalgʰ- (“stick”). Cognates include Finnish salko, Northern Sami čuolggu (“lever, crowbar”), Moksha сялго (śalgo, “stick”), Eastern Khanty сагыл (sagyl).
2. A native word. Split from the noun sense of the obsolete term szil (“to cut, split; splinter”), with a possible original meaning of “split object”. See szilánk (“splinter”) for the same stem.

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• Hyphenation: szál
• Rhymes: -aːl

szál (plural szálak)

1. thread (a long, thin and flexible form of material, generally with a round cross-section, used in sewing, weaving or in the construction of string; it can be used attributively preceded by a quantity)

   Synonyms: fonal, cérna

   befűzi a szálat a tűbe ― to put thread through the needle

   egy szál pamut ― a single cotton thread

2. fiber, fibre (UK)
3. stick

   gyufaszál ― matchstick

4. straw

   szívószál ― drinking straw

5. (figuratively, usually in the plural) bond, tie (an emotional link, connection or union; that which holds two or more people together)

   Szoros szálak fűzik a szüleihez. ― He/she has a strong bond with his/her parents.

6. (figuratively) thread, string, web (any interconnected set of persons, places, actions, or things in a plot or scheme)

   a cselekmény szála ― storyline

   az összeesküvés szálai ― the web of conspiracy

Not to be confused with the verb száll (“to fly”), pronounced with a long l.

• szál in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (“The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN