talent

Etymology

From Middle English talent, from Old English talente, borrowed from the plural of Latin talentum (“a Grecian weight; a talent of money”), from Ancient Greek τάλαντον (tálanton, “balance, a particular weight, especially of gold, sum of money, a talent”). Compare Old High German talenta (“talent”). Later senses from Old French talent (“a talent, also will, inclination, desire”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtælənt/
• (UK, also) IPA^(key): /ˈtalənt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: tal‧ent

Noun

talent (plural talents)

1. A marked natural ability or skill. [from 15^thc.]

   He has a real talent for drawing.

2. (historical) A unit of weight and money used in ancient times in Greece, the Roman Empire, and the Middle East. [from 9^thc.]
   • 1611, Authorized Version, Matthew XXV 14-15:

     For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

3. (obsolete) A desire or inclination for something. [14^th-16^thc.]
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter xx, in Le Morte Darthur, book X:

     But my hede said sir Palomydes I wille not ryde these thre dayes / […] / Truly said sir Lamorak / and I wille abyde here with you / And whan ye ryde / thenne wille I ryde / […] / therfor I pray you syr Dynadan abyde and ryde with vs / Feythfully said Dynadan I wylle not abyde for I haue suche a talent to see sir Tristram that I may not abyde longe from hym

4. (business, media, sports) People of talent, viewed collectively; a talented person. [from 19^thc.]

   The director searched their talent pool to fill the new opening.

5. (slang) The men or (especially) women of a place or area, judged by their attractiveness. [from 20^thc.]

   Not much talent in this bar tonight—let's hit the clubs.

   • 2011, Nic Venter, Wow! What a Life! (page 179)

     I went down to the beach front, of course, for that was the first thing that all Vaalies did: to look at the sea and to check the talent on the beach.

Anagrams

• antlet, latent, latten

Noun

talent m (plural talents)

1. talent (Greek money)
2. talent (skill)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin talentum.

Noun

talent m

1. talent (unit of weight)
2. talent (actual or potential ability)

Further reading

• talent in Příruční slovník jazyka českého, 1935–1957
• talent in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého, 1960–1971, 1989

Etymology 1

Borrowed from German Talent (“talent”), from Latin talentum, from Ancient Greek τάλαντον (tálanton, “balance, a particular weight, especially of gold, sum of money, a talent”).

Etymology 2

From Latin talentum, from Ancient Greek τάλαντον (tálanton, “balance, a particular weight, especially of gold, sum of money, a talent”).

Etymology

From Middle Dutch talent, from Old French talent, from Latin talentum, from Ancient Greek τάλαντον (tálanton, “a particular weight, balance”), from Proto-Indo-European *tl̥h₂ent-, from *telh₂-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /taːˈlɛnt/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛnt
• Hyphenation: ta‧lent

Noun

talent n (plural talenten, diminutive talentje n)

1. talent (gift, quality, capability)
2. (historical) talent (ancient weight, value of money or coin)

Anagrams

• latten

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin talentum (“a Grecian weight; a talent of money”), itself a borrowing from Ancient Greek τάλαντον (tálanton, “balance; a particular weight, especially of gold; sum of money; a talent”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ta.lɑ̃/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

talent m (plural talents)

1. (historical, Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece) a talent (an obsolete unit of weight or money)
2. a talent, a gift, a knack

Further reading

• “talent” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• latent

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin talentum.

Noun

talent n (definite singular talentet, indefinite plural talent or talenter, definite plural talenta or talentene)

1. (a) talent

References

• “talent” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin talentum

Noun

talent n (definite singular talentet, indefinite plural talent, definite plural talenta)

1. (a) talent

References

• “talent” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Alternative forms

• talant

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin talentum (“a Grecian weight; a talent of money”), from Ancient Greek τάλαντον (tálanton, “balance; a particular weight, especially of gold; sum of money; a talent”).

Noun

talent m (oblique plural talenz or talentz, nominative singular talenz or talentz, nominative plural talent)

1. desire; wish (to do something)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin talentum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈta.lɛnt/

Noun

talent m inan

1. talent, gift
2. (historical) talent (ancient unit of weight and money)

Noun

talent m pers

1. (metonymically) talented person

Alternative forms

• (Bosnian, Serbian): tàlenat

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin talentum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tǎlent/
• Hyphenation: ta‧lent

Noun

tàlent m (Cyrillic spelling та̀лент)

1. talent

Alternative forms

• talen (colloquial)

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /ˈtalɛnt/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /ˈtaːlɛnt/, /ˈtalɛnt/

Verb

talent

1. (literary) third-person plural imperfect / conditional of talu

Mutation