Etymology Dictionary

TALK,  to discourse.  (Scand.,—Lithuan.)   M. E. talken, Wyclif, Luke, xxiv. 15; and much earlier, in St. Marharete, p. 13, Ancren Riwle, p. 422.—Swed. tolka, Dan. tolke, to interpret. explain; Icel. túlka, to interpret, plead one's case.   It is quite clear that the vowel a in the E. word is due to confusion with M. E. talien, talen, to tell tales; indeed, Tyrwhitt actually prints talken in Chaucer, C. T. 774, where the Six-text, A. 772, has talen in all the MSS.   It is, however, a curious fact, that talk is not a Teutonic word at all, as will appear.   β. The Icel. túlka is from túlkr, sb., an interpreter, spelt tolk in Dan. and Swed., also in Dutch, and in M. H. G.; the word even passed into E., and we find M. E. tulk in the vague sense of 'man;' Gawayn and the Grene Knight, l. 3.   The irregularity seen in the identity of form in Swed. and M. H. G. is due to the fact that the word is non-Teutonic.—Lithuan. tulkas, an interpreter; whence tulkanti, tulkóti, to interpret.   And perhaps we may further connect this with Skt. tark, to suppose, utter one's supposition, reflect, speak, tarka, sb., reasoning.   ¶ This remarkable word points to a time when some communications were carried on, through an interpreter, between the Scandinavians and Lithuanians.   The communication was prob. of a religious nature, since the Lithuan. per tulkas kalbëti means 'to preach by means of an interpreter.'   It is the only Lithuanian word in English.   Der. talk-er; talk-at-ive, a strangely coined word, spelt talcatife in The Craft of Lovers, st. 4, pr. in Chaucer's Works, ed. 1561, fol. 341.   Hence talk-at-ive-ly, -ness. [†]

ADDENDA

I believe the explanation given above is correct; we may note that Russ. tolkavate means not merely 'to interpret,' but also 'to talk about,' just as in English; and tolk’ means not only 'sense, interpretation,' but also 'rumour, report;' Reiff.   The usual explanation is that tal-k is an extension of tale, the k being added as in smir-k.   Those who prefer this explanation can do so; for myself, I utterly reject it.   Such a verb would rather have made tel-k, from the verb tell.