An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Tafel

by Friedrich Kluge

Tafel, f., ‘table, tablet, slab,’ from MidHG. tavel, tavele, f., ‘tablet, picture, table,’ OHG. tavala (tabala, tabella), f., ‘tablet’; borrowed during the OHG. period from Lat. tabula, tabella. Even in the pre-HG. period Lat. tabula passed into HG. and was normally permutated; comp. OHG. zabal, MidHG. zabel (see Schach). It corresponds to the Romance cognates, Ital. tavola, ‘table, tablet, board, picture, Fr. table (E. table). —