tafl

Cimbrian

Noun

tafl f

1. table
2. board
3. blackboard

References

• Umberto Patuzzi, ed., (2013) Ünsarne Börtar, Luserna: Comitato unitario delle linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse tafl (“a board”), from Latin tabula (“a tablet; a board or plank”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtʰapl/

  Rhymes: -apl

Noun

tafl n (genitive singular tafls, nominative plural töfl)

1. chess
2. (chiefly historical) any of a class of ancient Northern European two-player board games featuring a distinctive 2:1 ratio of playing pieces, with the addition of a kingpiece to the lesser side
3. (obsolete) A general term encompassing traditional board games, including games such as hnefatafl, chess, backgammon and mill.

Synonyms

• (chess): skák, (obsolete) skáktafl
• (ancient Northern European two-player board game): hnefatafl
• (more generally: board game): borðspil

Derived terms

terms derived from "tafl"

• halatafl
• hnefatafl
• hneftafl
• kotrutafl (“backgammon”)
• skáktafl (“chess”) (obsolete)
• svik í tafli
• taflmaður
• tefla

Old Norse

Etymology

An ancient borrowing from Latin tabula (“a tablet; a board or plank”). Cognate with Old English tæfl (“game board; board game”).

Noun

tafl n (genitive tafls, plural tǫfl)

1. a board game

Usage notes

• Today this term is mostly used to refer to any of a class of ancient Northern European two-player board games featuring a distinctive 2:1 ratio of playing pieces, with the addition of a kingpiece to the lesser side

Derived terms

• tefla (“to play tafl or draughts”)
• halatafl
• hnefatafl

Descendants

• Icelandic: tafl
• Faroese: talv
• Norwegian Nynorsk: tavl