tāls

From Proto-Baltic *tāli- or *toli-, from Proto-Indo-European *to- (pronominal stem) (whence tas (“that”), q.v.) with an extra suffix, either -āli (> *tāli-) or -li(> *toli-).

The adverbial forms *tāli, *tālu, *tālus seem to be older than the adjectival ones, yielding both u- and yo-stem adjectives, in competition for some time: only in the early 20th century did the u-stem form tāls become the only one in the standard language (yo-stem tāļš is still attested dialectally).

Cognates include Lithuanian tolùs, Old Prussian tālis, tāls, Old Church Slavonic толи (toli, “(to) that extent”), толь (tolĭ, “that much”), толикъ (tolikŭ, “that much, that big”), Russian то́лько (tólʹko, “only”), Ukrainian ті́лько (tílʹko, “only”), Bulgarian то́лко (tólko, “that much”), Czech tolik (“that much”), Ancient Greek τηλίκος (tēlíkos, “that old, that young, that big”), Latin tālis (“such”). (Slavic words like Ukrainian, Russian даль (dalʹ, “distance”), Czech dále, dál (“farther”), Russian далёкий (daljókij, “far, distant”), Ukrainian дале́кий (dalékyj), Bulgarian дале́к (dalék), Czech daleký, Polish daleki, all from Proto-Slavic *dalekъ, *dalekъjъ, are also probably related to Latvian tāls, but their initial d remains unexplained.)^[1]

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tāls (definite tālais, comparative tālāks, superlative vistālākais, adverb tālu)

1. far, far away, distant (situated, living, coming from, happening in, a place which is at a relatively big distance away)

   tāls ciemats ― distant village

   tāls nostūris ― far corner

   tālas pilsētas, jūras ― distant cities, seas

   tāla šalkoņa ― distant roar

   tālas atbalsis ― distant echos

   tāla gaisma ― distant light

   doties tālos darbos ― to go to distant (= long-distance) works

   apciemot tālus draugus ― to visit distant friends

   sagaidīt tālus ciemiņus ― to expect distant visitors

   saimnieks ar visiem zirgiem un puišiem devās uz tālo plāvu, kur šķūnī sabāzts siens gulēja jau no jūlija mēneša ― the farm owner, with all horses and boys (= servants), went to the far-away meadow, where the hay storned in the barn had been llying since the month of July

   Aldona cepa tortes tuvākiem un tālākiem kaimiņiem ― Aldona baked pies to (our) closer and farther neighbors

   drīz vien Mazuriju durvis sāka virināt tuvi un tāli ļaudis ― soon people (from) near and far began to open and close the doors of Mazurija

2. distant (without close ties; such that one does not relate to it; not familiar)

   meitai tāls un garlaicīgs šķiet viss, ko pārdzīvojusi māte, vecaistēvs... ― to the girl, everything that (her) mother and grandfather had experienced seemed distant and uninteresting

   Ģirts jūt, ka tas brālim arvien bijis tāls; bet vai tad brālis nevar būt brāļa draugs? ― Ģirts feels that that (one) was always distant to (= from) (his) brother; but can't a brother be friends with a brother (= can't two brothers be friends)?

3. (of plans, dreams) distant (difficult to realize)

   es nevaru gulēt; miegs, īsts miegs man ir kā tāls sapnis no jaunības laikiem ― I can't sleep; sleep, real sleep is to me like a distant dream from (my) youth

4. (of paths, trips) long, far (covering or reaching a large distance)

   iet tālu ceļu ― to go far, to go a long way (lit. to go a far way)

   tāls pārgājiens, ceļojums ― a far (= long) trek, trip

   tāls lidojums ― a far (= long) flight

   tāla ekspedīcija ― a far expedition (= to a distant place)

   es gāju jau dienā, jo bija tāls gabals ejams ― I went also during the day, because there was a far (= long) piece (of road) to go

   priekšā tāls ceļš līdz Vladivostokai un vēl garāks līdz mājām ― ahead (of him), the far (= long) road to Vladivostoka and further to home

5. (of processes, activities) far, distant, remote (executed from a distance)

   tāla mehānismu vadīšana ― remote control of a mechanism

   tāli kosmiskie sakari ― remote spatial communication

6. (of time periods, events) far, distant (separated from the present by a relatively long period of time)

   tāli gadsimti ― distant centuries

   tāla senātne, nākotne ― distant past, future

   tālie studiju gadi ― the distant (= old) study years

   tāli jaunības sapņi ― distant (= ancient) youth dreams

   tāli nākotnes plāni ― distant future plans

   tāls priekštecis ― distant predecessor

   atcerēties tālās bērnības dienas ― to remember (one's) distant childhood days

   tālos, tālos aizvēstures laikos jūras viļņi skalojušies pāri Ķekavai, Baldonei, Jaunjelgavai ― in the far, far prehistoric times, the sea waves washed over Ķekava, Baldone, Jaunjelgava

   atminos senas dienas un tālus notikumus, Mindaug ― I remember the old days and the distant (= old, ancient) events, Mindaugs

7. far, distant (having little in common)

   tāla radniecība ― distant relation

   tāli radi ― distant relatives

   savstarpēji tālas augu sugas ― mutually distant (= distantly related) plant species

   pat vistālākajās valodu grupās var atrast apbrīnojami līdzīgus vārdus ― even in the most distant (= distantly related) language families it is possible to find surprisingly similar words

8. broad, wide (covering a large distance, territory)

   tas bija tālā apkārtnē nedzirdēts gadījums, ka meita bez laulāšanas aiziet pie puiša ― it was unheard of in the distant (= broad, wide) surroundings that a girl would marry a guy without a wedding

• (of "distant, not familiar"): svešs

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