til

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.

• 'til

• enPR: tĭl, təl, IPA^(key): /tɪl/, (unstressed) /təl/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Audio (Southern England (weak form)):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪl

til

1. (colloquial) until, till

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^[1], volume 305, number 4, page 38:

     EVEN IF YOU MAKE ME WRITE IN THIS EVERY DAY TIL THEY LET ME OUT OF HERE

• til to

Borrowed from Hindi तिल (til, “sesame”).

• teal, teel

• IPA^(key): /tɪl/, /tiːl/

til (plural tils)

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

• til seed

• &lit, Lit, TLI, lit, lit.

Inherited from Proto-Turkic *til.

til (accusative tilni, plural tiller)

1. tongue
2. language

• Mirjejev, V. A., Usejinov, S. M. (2002) Ukrajinsʹko-krymsʹkotatarsʹkyj slovnyk [Ukrainian – Crimean Tatar Dictionary]‎^[2], Simferopol: Dolya, →ISBN
• “til”, in Luğatçıq (in Russian)

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.

• IPA^(key): /te(l)/, [tˢel], [tˢe]

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 [lit. Enevold’s-son] Seefeld of Visborg and Sostrup

• 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):

• 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:

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!

til

1. till, until

   Jeg venter til det bliver mørkt.

   I shall wait till it is dark.

• “til” in Den Danske Ordbog

• IPA^(key): /tɪl/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪl

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

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)

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

til

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

til

1. bridge

From Old Norse til, from Proto-Germanic *til (compare *tilą (“goal”)).

• IPA^(key): /tʰiːl/
• Rhymes: -iːl

til

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

• til-

til

1. until

til

1. Romanization of 𐍄𐌹𐌻

From Old Norse til, from Proto-Germanic *til (compare *tilą (“goal”)).

• IPA^(key): /tʰɪ(ː)l/
• Rhymes: -ɪːl

til

1. to, towards [with genitive]

   Ég fer til Japans.

   I'm going to Japan.

   Ég er með bréf til þín.

   I have a letter [addressed] to you.

From English till.

• IPA^(key): /til/

til

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

• til rivido! (“goodbye! (lit., until the re-seeing!”)

til

1. Short for til rivido (“goodbye”).

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

til

1. language

Perso-Arabic		تیل

From Proto-Turkic *til (“language”).

• IPA^(key): /til/

til (definite accusative tilü, plural tillər)

1. tongue
2. language

• Doerfer, Gerhard (1971) Khalaj Materials, Indiana University, →ISBN
• Doerfer, Gerhard (1980) Wörterbuch des Chaladsch (Dialekt von Charrab) [Khalaj dictionary] (in German), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó
• Doerfer, Gerhard (1987) Lexik und Sprachgeographie des Chaladsch [Lexicon and Language Geography of Khalaj] (in German), Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, →ISBN

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

• (phonetic) IPA^(key): [tˠilʲ]
• (phonemic) IPA^(key): /tˠilʲ/
• Bender phonemes: {til}

til

1. torch

• Marshallese–English Online Dictionary

• tylle

From Old English til (“to, until”), from Inherited from Proto-West Germanic *til and/or Old Norse til, both from Proto-Germanic *til (“to, towards”), related to *tilą (“goal”). Cognate with Old Norse til, Old Frisian til.

• IPA^(key): /til/

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.

• English: til, till
• Scots: til

• “til, conj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

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.

• tille, telle

• English: til, till
• Scots: til
• Yola: del, dell, tell, 'tell, till

• “til, prep.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

til

1. to

• “til, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

til

1. (anatomy) leg

til f

1. finger (the extremity of the hand)

From Old Norse til, from Proto-Germanic *til (compare *tilą (“goal”)).

• IPA^(key): /tɪl/
• Rhymes: -ɪl

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 [you]")

til

1. another, more, in addition, further

   En kaffe til, takk.

   Another coffee, please.

   Bare tre til!

   Just three more!

• “til” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

• te (dialectal)
• t (SMS slang)

From Old Norse til, from Proto-Germanic *til (compare *tilą (“goal”)).

• IPA^(key): /tɪlː/

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.

til

1. another, one more

   Eg tek eit kakestykke til.

   I'll take another piece of cake.

• “til” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

• IPA^(key): /til/

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

til

1. good (morally good; competent; useful, etc.)

   Til sceal mid tilum.

   The good shall be with the good.

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.

Possibly borrowed from Old Norse til,^[1] though the OED has it as "Germanic" and related to Old Norse til and to Old Frisian til.^[2] If not borrowed, then inherited from Proto-West Germanic *til, from Proto-Germanic *til.

• ᛏᛁᛚ (til) — Ruthwell Cross

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.

• Middle English: til, tylle
  • English: til, till
  • Scots: til

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.

til

1. (with genitive) to, towards
2. (rare, archaic) too

   mæla til mart

   speak too much

• Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “till”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

• “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)

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

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

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

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)

See till.

til

1. Archaic form of till.
   • 1611, Johannes Messenius, Disa‎^[3], 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)‎^[4], 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: […]

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

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

• IPA^(key): /tɪl/, [t̪ʰɪ̈l]
• Hyphenation: til

til (plural tillar)

1. (anatomy) tongue
2. language, tongue

til

1. (anatomy) leg