talent

English Online Dictionary. What means talent‎? What does talent mean?

English

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 figurative senses are from Old French talent (“talent, will, inclination, desire”), derived from the biblical Parable of the Talents.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtælənt/
• (UK, also) IPA^(key): /ˈtalənt/
• Rhymes: -ælənt
• Hyphenation: tal‧ent

Noun

talent (plural talents)

1. A marked natural ability or skill. [from 15th c.]
   • 1936 Feb. 15, Ernest Hemingway, letter to Maxwell Perkins:

     Feel awfully about Scott... I always knew he couldn't think—he never could—but he had a marvelous talent and the thing is to use it—not whine in public.

2. (historical) A unit of weight and money used in ancient times in Greece, the Roman Empire, and the Middle East, equal to about 30 to 60 kg in various times and places. [from 9th c.]
3. (obsolete) A desire or inclination for something. [14th–16th c.]
4. (business, media, sports) People of talent, viewed collectively; a talented person. [from 19th c.]

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

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:skill

Derived terms

• talent scout
• talent-spotting

Translations

Further reading

• “talent”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “talent”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• antlet, latent, latten

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin talentum, from Ancient Greek τάλαντον (tálanton).

Pronunciation

• (Balearic) IPA^(key): /təˈlent/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /təˈlen/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /taˈlent/

Noun

talent m (plural talents)

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

   Synonym: gana

Derived terms

• atalentat
• talentós

Further reading

• “talent” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

Czech

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin talentum.

Noun

talent m inan

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

   Synonym: nadání n

Declension

Related terms

Further reading

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

Danish

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”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /talɛnt/, [taˈlɛnˀd̥]

Noun

talent n (singular definite talentet, plural indefinite talenter)

1. talent (potential or factual ability to perform a skill better than most people)

Inflection

See also

• talent on the Danish Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^da

Etymology 2

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /talɛnt/, [taˈlɛnˀd̥]

Noun

talent c (singular definite talenten, plural indefinite talenter)

1. talent (unit of weight and money)

Inflection

Dutch

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/
• Hyphenation: ta‧lent
• Rhymes: -ɛnt

Noun

talent n (plural talenten, diminutive talentje n)

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

Derived terms

• met zijn talenten woekeren
• natuurtalent
• talentenjacht
• talentvol

Descendants

• Afrikaans: talent

Anagrams

• latten

French

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/

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

Derived terms

• talentueux

Further reading

• “talent”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• latent

Middle English

Alternative forms

• taland, talande, talant, talente (all rare)

Etymology

From Old French talent and Old English talente, both from Latin talentum, from Ancient Greek τάλαντον (tálanton).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /taˈlɛnt/, /ˈtalɛnt/

Noun

talent (plural talentes or talens)

1. A talent (ancient unit of money or weight)
2. Will, inclination, or desire.
3. A base inclination or urge (especially lustful or for food)
4. An emotion or feeling (especially positive or affectionate)
5. A purpose; a plan or idea serving one.
6. (rare) Capacity, character, or nature.
7. (rare) A talent (ability, skill).

Related terms

• maltalent

Descendants

• English: talent
• Scots: talent

References

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

Norwegian Bokmål

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

Derived terms

• talentfull

References

• “talent” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Medieval Latin talentum.

Noun

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

1. (a) talent

Derived terms

• talentfull

References

• “talent” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old French

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)

Descendants

• Middle English: talent, taland, talande, talant, talente (in part)
  • English: talent
  • Scots: talent

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin talentum, from Ancient Greek τάλαντον (tálanton), from Proto-Indo-European *tl̥h₂ent-, from *telh₂-

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈta.lɛnt/
• Rhymes: -alɛnt
• Syllabification: ta‧lent

Noun

talent m inan (diminutive talencik)

1. talent, gift

   Antonym: antytalent

Declension

Noun

talent m anim

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

Declension

Noun

talent m pers (diminutive talencik)

1. (metonymically) talented person

   Antonym: antytalent

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading

• talent in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• talent in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French talent.

Noun

talent n (plural talente)

1. talent

Declension

Serbo-Croatian

Alternative forms

• tàlenat (Bosnian)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin talentum.

Pronunciation

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

Noun

tàlent m (Cyrillic spelling та̀лент)

1. (Croatia) talent

Declension

Welsh

Alternative forms

• talen (colloquial)

Pronunciation

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

Etymology 1

talu +‎ -ent

Verb

talent

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

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Latin talentum.

Noun

talent m or f (plural talentau or talenti or talennau or talents)

1. ability, aptitude
2. talent (“coin”)

Derived terms

• talentog (“talented”)

Mutation

Further reading

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “talent”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies