Talk:Teil tree

confusing content[edit]

this article leaves me completely in the dark on whether the name refers to Tilla, Terebinth, both, or whether the Bible scholars aren't really sure. That makes it hard to insert proper backlinks.

Exactly my reaction. The article apparently started as a copy from the Easton's Bible dictionary; the main point of the article (if any) is that if someone uses the expression "teil tree", you don't know what they're talking about. And that's my reason for opposing a merger - the fact that it's a confusing term is the only thing that's important to document about it, IMHO. --Alvestrand 22:49, 24 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Okay, if we don't know what tree it is, then obviously we don't know what to merge it with. Someone should probably change the first sentence though. —Keenan Pepper 01:42, 25 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The OEDictionary gives the etymology of teil as Latin tilia and Old French (13-15th c.) til. In Modern French it is tilleul. The French and Latin word cognates appeared amongst the English literate classes starting in the 14th century. Most names of trees, however, kept their Germanic origins, hence linden and lime (a deformation of lind according to the OED). The linden or til tree is native to northern Europe and Asia. Next, the OED gives the terebinthe as a tree native to southern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East and as a source of a particularly valued turpentine. Next time you are in the dark about words, might I suggest you do what we old folks do. Go to the library and look up their meanings and especially their origins. If this is too inconvenient, get an on-line subscription to a dictionary, but whatever you do, don't rely too much on wikipedia. I might be lying to you.Laburke (talk) 23:37, 11 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]