til

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English

Etymology 1

From Middle English til, from Old English til (to, until), possibly from Old Norse til, both from Proto-Germanic *tilą (goal), or Proto-Germanic *til (to, towards). Compare to Old Frisian til.

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • enPR: tĭl, təl, IPA(key): /tɪl/, (unstressed) /təl/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • Audio (Southern England (weak form)):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɪl

Conjunction

til

  1. (colloquial) until, till

Preposition

til

  1. (colloquial) until, till
    • 2004 Nov, Harper, Gary W., Gannon, Christine, Watson, Susan E., Catania, Joseph A., and Dolcini, M. Margaret, “The Role of Close Friends in African American Adolescents' Dating and Sexual Behavior”, in Journal of Sex Research, volume 41, number 4, pages 351–362:
      I just don't know how to just come out in the blue and say it, so I just wait til it comes up...
    • 2008 Winter, Michael Copperman, “Gone”, in Arkansas Review, volume 39, number 3, Arkansas State University, pages 139–145:
      Let him wander round and kids gone meddle him til he get to fighting again.
    • 2010 May, James Parker, “Revenge of the Wimps”, in The Atlantic Monthly, volume 305, number 4, page 38:
      EVEN IF YOU MAKE ME WRITE IN THIS EVERY DAY TIL THEY LET ME OUT OF HERE
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Hindi तिल (til, sesame).

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Noun

til (plural tils)

  1. Sesame (plant: Sesamum indicum)
  2. Any of species Ocotea foetens in family Lauraceae, native to Madeira and the Canary Islands.
Derived terms

Anagrams

Crimean Tatar

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Turkic *til.

Noun

til (accusative tilni, plural tiller)

  1. tongue
  2. language

Declension

References

  • Mirjejev, V. A., Usejinov, S. M. (2002) Ukrajinsʹko-krymsʹkotatarsʹkyj slovnyk [Ukrainian – Crimean Tatar Dictionary]‎, Simferopol: Dolya, →ISBN
  • til”, in Luğatçıq (in Russian)

Danish

Etymology

From Old Norse til, from Proto-Germanic *tilą (goal), cognate with Swedish till (to), English till, German Ziel n (goal). The preposition has arisen from an adverbial use of the noun, lit. "(with) the goal of something". In Old Norse, the preposition governs the genitive, a usage which is preserved in certain fixed phrases in Danish.

Pronunciation

Preposition

til

  1. to, towards (the direction or goal of a physical movement)
  2. towards (the way a thing is turned)
  3. to, until (the upper limit)
    Fra 12 til 18 år.
    From 12 to 18 years.
  4. for (the purpose or the beneficiary)
    Jeg har en gave til dig.
    I have a gift for you.
  5. into, interested in (especially sexually)
    Beklager, jeg er kun til kvinder.
    Sorry, I'm only into women.
    Er du til analsex?
    Are you into anal sex?
  6. at (at a certain point in time, with certain nouns)
    De var samlet hele familien til jul.
    The whole family was gathered at Christmas.
  7. by (not later than)
    Den er færdig til (på) torsdag.
    It is ready by Thursday.
  8. (together) with (e.g., accompanying food)
    De drak vin til maden
    They were drinking wine with their food.
  9. on, by (the means of transportation)
  10. (in personal names) of (a nobiliary particle denoting residence)
    Jacob Enevoldsen Seefeld til Visborg og Sostrup
    Jacob Enevoldsen Seefeld of Visborg and Sostrup

Usage notes

  • The preposition governed the genitive in Old Norse and Old Danish. This usage is preserved in several fixed phrases (always with the noun in the indefinite singular):

Derived terms

  • In many phrases, the noun ends in -e, which is either 1) an old genitive plural (Old Norse -a), 2) an old genitive singular in a different declension (Old Norse -ar), or 3) an old dative singular (Old Norse -i), analogically after other case relict phrases:

Adverb

til

  1. more, additional, another
    Giv mig en kage til.
    Give me another cake.
  2. to, having as a destination
    Gå hen til huset.
    Go to the house.
  3. such that something is caused to be in a fitting state
    • 2015, Christine Proksch, Turen Går Til Wien, Politikens Forlag, →ISBN:
      Kalkstenen smuldrer og skal erstattes, og uafbrudt skyder stilladser i vejret, så der kan slibes til og skiftes ud.
      The limestone crumbles and must be replaced, and scaffolds pop up unceasingly, so that grinding and replacing can take place.
    • 2008, Selvstyrende team - ledelse og organisation, Samfundslitteratur, →ISBN, page 35:
      Det betyder, at personligheden skal slibes til, sådan at den passer optimalt ind i den konkrete jobprofil, hvilket sker på bekostning af det personlige udtryk.
      This means that personality must be ground down, such that it fits optimally into the job profile in question, which happens at the cost of personal expression.
  4. such that some pathway or cavity is blocked
    Kloakken er stoppet til.
    The sewer is blocked.
  5. with force
    Tryk til!
    Push forcefully!

Conjunction

til

  1. till, until
    Jeg venter til det bliver mørkt.
    I shall wait till it is dark.

References

Dutch

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

til f (plural tillen, diminutive tilletje n)

  1. dovecote
    Synonyms: duiventil, columbarium, duivenhuis
  2. (dialectal) bridge (typically a small wooden bridge made of planks)
  3. (dated) cage trap (for catching birds)

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

til

  1. inflection of tillen:
    1. first-person singular present indicative
    2. (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative
    3. imperative

Dutch Low Saxon

Noun

til

  1. bridge

Faroese

Etymology

From Old Norse til, from Proto-Germanic *tila- (goal), from Proto-Indo-European *ád (near, at).

Pronunciation

Preposition

til

  1. (with accusative or with genitive) to, towards

Derived terms

Conjunction

til

  1. until

Gothic

Romanization

til

  1. Romanization of 𐍄𐌹𐌻

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse til, from Proto-Germanic *tila- (goal), from Proto-Indo-European *ád (near, at).

Pronunciation

Preposition

til

  1. (governs the genitive) to, towards
    Ég fer til Japans.
    I'm going to Japan.
    Ég er með bréf til þín.
    I have a letter to you.

Derived terms

Ido

Etymology

From English till.

Pronunciation

Preposition

til

  1. until, till (refers to time)
  2. to, up to, as far as (refers to space)

Derived terms

Interjection

til

  1. Short for til rivido (goodbye).

Karakalpak

Etymology

From *til (tongue; language). Cognate with Turkish and Azerbaijani dil.

Noun

til

  1. language

Khalaj

Perso-Arabic تیل

Etymology

From Proto-Turkic *til (language).

Pronunciation

Noun

til (definite accusative tilü, plural tillər)

  1. tongue
  2. language

Declension

References

Marshallese

Etymology

From Proto-Micronesian *sulu, from Proto-Oceanic *suluq, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *suluq. Cognate with Cebuano sulo, Tagalog sulo, Malay suluh, Palauan tuich.

Pronunciation

Noun

til

  1. torch

References

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old English til (to, until), possibly from Old Norse til, both from Proto-Germanic *tila- (goal), or Proto-Germanic *til (to, towards). Cognate with Old Norse til, Old Frisian til.

Pronunciation

Conjunction

til

  1. until, till
    • a. 1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Man of Law's Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales, lines 788–791:
      [] And pleſed hym in al that ever ſhe myghte.
      He drank, and wel his girdel underpighte;
      He ſlepeth, and he fnorteth in his gyſe
      Al nyght, til the ſonne gan aryſe.
      and she pleased him with everything she possibly could.
      He drank, and his belt became stuffed well;
      he slept, and snorted like he usually did
      throughout the night, until the sun arose.

Descendants

  • English: til, till
  • Scots: til

References

Preposition

til

  1. until, till
    • a. 1382, John Wycliffe, “Ezechiel 1:27”, in Wycliffe's Bible:
      And Y ſiȝ as a licneſſe of electre, as the biholding of fier with ynne, bi the cumpas therof; fro the lendis of hym and aboue, and fro þe lendis of him til to bynethe, Y siȝ as the licneſſe of fier ſchynynge in cumpas, []
      And I saw something like amber, which had something fire spread around within it. From above his torso and his torso up to the bottom (of him), I saw something like fire shining around him,
  2. (with "to") as far as; down to; up to, until
    Synonym: vntil
    • a. 1382, John Wycliffe, “Ezechiel 40:14-15”, in Wycliffe's Bible:
      [] and bifore the face of the ȝate that laſtid til to the face of the porche of the ynner ȝate, he mad fifti cubitis.
      And from in front of the gate's front up to the porch of the inner gate, he measured fifty cubits.

Alternative forms

Descendants

References

Adverb

til

  1. to

References

Miraya Bikol

Noun

til

  1. (anatomy) leg

Northern Kurdish

til

Noun

til f

  1. finger (the extremity of the hand)

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse til, from Proto-Germanic *tila- (goal).

Pronunciation

Preposition

til

  1. to (indicating range, direction or destination)
    fra mandag til fredag
    from Monday to Friday
    fra Oslo til Bergen
    from Oslo to Bergen
  2. at or on (indicating position or location relative to another reference point)
    Det er til høyre.
    It's on the right.
  3. for (used to indicate purpose or suitability)
    Har du nye klær til intervjuet?
    Do you have new clothes for the interview?
  4. to (in idiomatic expressions)
    Lykke til!
    Good luck! (lit. "luck to ")

Adverb

til

  1. another, more, in addition, further
    En kaffe til, takk.
    Another coffee, please.
    Bare tre til!
    Just three more!

Derived terms

References

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old Norse til, from Proto-Germanic *tila- (goal), from Proto-Indo-European *ád (near, at).

Pronunciation

Preposition

til

  1. to (indicating destination)
    Dei er på veg til fylkesgrensa.
    They are on their way to the county border.
  2. for
    Denne presangen er til deg.
    This present is for you.
  3. of (indicating possession)
    Han er faren til guten.
    He is the father of the boy.
  4. until
    Me køyrde til me kom fram.
    We drove until we got there.

Adverb

til

  1. another, one more
    Eg tek eit kakestykke til.
    I'll take another piece of cake.

Derived terms

References

Old English

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Proto-Germanic *tila-, whence also Old Frisian til, Old High German zil (German Ziel), Old Norse tilr, Gothic 𐍄𐌹𐌻 (til).

Adjective

til

  1. good (morally good; competent; useful, etc.)
    Til sceal mid tilum.
    The good shall be with the good.
Declension

Noun

til n (nominative plural tilas)

  1. use, service, convenience
    Gewritu secgaþ ðæt seó wiht sý mid moncynne miclum ticlum sweotol and gesýne, sundorcræft hafaþ.
    Writings say that those beings were to mankind of great service; they clearly and obviously had special powers.
  2. goodness, kindness
    Me on ðínum tile gelǽr ðæt ic teala cunne ðín sóðfæst weorc healdan.
    Thy goodness teaches me that I should maintain your righteous work.

Etymology 2

Possibly from Old Norse til[1] though the OED has it as "Germanic" and related to Old Norse til and to Old Frisian til[2]

Alternative forms

Preposition

til

  1. to, until, unto
    Ðá cueð til him ðe Hǽlend
    Then Jesus said unto them,
    • c. 800, Ruthwell Cross:
      ᛣᚱᛁᛋᛏᚹᚫᛋᚩᚾᚱᚩᛞᛁᚻᚹᛖᚦᚱᚫᚦᛖᚱᚠᚢᛋᚫᚠᛠᚱᚱᚪᚾᛣᚹᚩᛗᚢᚫᚦᚦᛁᛚᚫᛏᛁᛚᚪᚾᚢᛗ
      Krist wæs on rōdi, hweþræ þēr fūsæ fearran kwōmu æþþilæ til ānum.
      Christ was on the cross, yet there in haste from afar came noble men unto him.
Descendants

References

  1. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “till”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
  2. ^ Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933.

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *tilą (goal). Cognate with Old English til, Old Frisian til, German Ziel n (goal). The preposition has arisen from an adverbial use of the noun, lit. "(with) the goal of something"; this is also the reason it takes the genitive.

Preposition

til

  1. (with genitive) to, towards
  2. (rare, archaic) too
    mæla til mart
    speak too much

Descendants

References

  • til”, in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • “til” in: Richard Cleasby, Guðbrandur Vigfússon — An Icelandic-English Dictionary (1874)

Portuguese

Examples

não (no), cão (dog), chão (floor), pão (bread), mão (hand), perdão (pardon), limão (lemon), irmão (brother), irmã (sister), pinhão (pine seed), algodão (cotton), corações (hearts), manhã (morning), Guimarães, Camões

Etymology

From Old Occitan tille, from Latin titulus. Doublet of título.

Pronunciation

 

  • Homophone: tio (Brazil, ignoring syllable breaks)
  • Rhymes: (Portugal) -il, (Brazil) -iw
  • Hyphenation: til

Noun

til m (plural tis or tiles)

  1. tilde, a diacritic (˜). Used in Portuguese to indicate a nasal vowel.
  2. trifle (something of little importance or worth)

Swedish

Etymology

See till.

Preposition

til

  1. Archaic form of till.
    • 1611, Johannes Messenius, Disa, page 1:
      W Arer alle wälkomne til Vbsala by /
      Och så til thenna Comoedia ny /
      We are all welcome to Uppsala village /
      And so to this new comedy /
    • 1759–1780, Hans Gustaf Rålamb, En Swensk Adelsmans Äfwentyr (2001), page 90:
      Då jag war tolf år, fölgde jag min Farbror första gången til Sjöß på en expedition til America: []
      When I was twelve years old, I accompanied my Uncle at Sea for the first time on an expedition to America:

Uzbek

Other scripts
Yangi Imlo
Cyrillic тил
Latin til
Perso-Arabic
(Afghanistan)
تیل

Etymology

Inherited from Chagatai تیل (til /⁠til⁠/), from Proto-Turkic *til. Cognate with Uyghur تىل / til / тил; Turkish dil; etc.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /tɪl/,
  • Hyphenation: til

Noun

til (plural tillar)

  1. (anatomy) tongue
  2. language, tongue

Declension

Derived terms

West Albay Bikol

Noun

til

  1. (anatomy) leg