Etymology Dictionary

TASSEL (1),  a hanging ornament consisting of a bunch of silk or other material.  (F.,—L.)   M.E. tassel, a fastening of a mantle, consisting of a cord ending in a tassel, Cursor Mundi, 4389.   Cf. 'a Mantle of Estate... with strings dependant, and tasselled;' Guillim, Display of Heraldry (1664), p. 271; a wood-cut on p. 272 shews the tassel, ornamented with strings and dots, that divide it into squares like the ace on a die.—O.F. tassel, a fastening, clasp; mod. F. tasseau, only in the sense of bracket.   We also find Low Lat. tassellus, used in the Prompt. Parv. as equivalent to E. tassel.   The O.F. tassel also meant a piece of square stuff, used by ladies as an ornament; see Burguy and Roquefort.   Cf. Ital. tassello, a collar of a cloak, a square.—Lat. taxillum, acc. of taxillus, a small die; dimin. of tālus, a knuckle-bone, also a die orig. made of the knuckle-bone of an animal.   We may conclude that the tassel was a sort of button made of a piece of squared bone, and afterwards of other materials.   β. The curious form taxillus shews that tālus is a contraction for taxlus*, from ✔TAK, also extended to TAKS, to prepare, to fit; cf. Gk. τέκ-των, a carpenter, Skt. taksh, to hew, prepare, make.   Cf. Curtius, i. 271.   Hence talus is a thing fitted, a joint, a squared die.   Der. tassell-ed, M.E. tasseled, Chaucer, C. T. 3251. [†]

TASSEL (2),  the male of the goshawk.   In Shak. Romeo, ii. 2. 160.   The same as Tercel, q.v.

ADDENDA

In an A.S. glossary of the 8th century we actually find the entry:  'Tessera, tasul;' Wright's Vocab. ii. 122.   Here tasul must have been taken directly from the Lat. taxillus, and the entry is particularly interesting as shewing that tasul was used in the sense of 'die;' which corroborates the derivation already given.