tafl

tafl f

1. table
2. board
3. blackboard

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

From Old Norse tafl (“a board”), from Middle Low German taffel, tavele, from Old Saxon tafla, from Proto-West Germanic *tabulā, from Latin tabula (“a tablet; a board or plank”). Doublet of tabla, tafla, tefla, töfl.^[1]

• IPA^(key): /ˈtʰapl/

  Rhymes: -apl

tafl n (genitive singular tafls, nominative plural töfl)

1. chess

   Synonyms: skák, (obsolete) skáktafl

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

   Synonym: hnefatafl

3. (obsolete) A general term encompassing traditional board games, including games such as hnefatafl, chess, backgammon and mill.

   Synonym: borðspil

• “tafl” in the Dictionary of Modern Icelandic (in Icelandic) and ISLEX (in the Nordic languages)

Ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *tabulā, from Latin tabula (“a tablet; a board or plank”). Cognate with Old English tæfl (“game board; board game”).

tafl n (genitive tafls, plural tǫfl)

1. a board game

• 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, but in Old Norse it refers to any board game.

• tefla (“to play a board game”)
• halatafl
• hnefatafl
• skáktafl (“chess”)

• tǫfl

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

Deverbal from taflu (“to throw”)

tafl m (plural taflau)

1. sling, catapult
2. catapult, trebuchet

   Synonyms: catapwlt, blif, magnel

3. throw, fling, instance of throwing

   Synonyms: tafliad, lluchiad, hyrddiad

• taflegryn (“missile”)

tafl f or m (plural taflau)

1. alternative form of tafol (“scales”)

• D. G. Lewis, N. Lewis, editors (2005–present), “tafl”, in Gweiadur: the Welsh–English Dictionary, Gwerin
• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “tafl”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies