tal qual

adverb

Unprocessed and unculled, by weight.

OriginFrench tel quel →
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Meanings

adverbtal qual (not comparable)
  1. Newfoundlandnot comparabledescribing the sale of fishUnprocessed and unculled, by weight.
adjectivetal qual (not comparable)
  1. Newfoundlandnot comparableBy weight.
    1 more example

    Most hon. members will know that up to a year or so ago the high proportion of salt fish bought in Newfoundland from fishermen was bought on a tal qual basis. There was no specification of grade. The fishermen who produced top quality fish received no more for his fish than the fishermen who took very little care.

    1970 April 13, Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly, quoting Aidan Maloney, Verbatim Report^(https://www.assembly.nl.ca/houseBusiness/Hansard/ga34session4/April13-1970(ns).pdf)

Origin

  1. Frenchtel quel
  2. Englishtal qual

Borrowed from French tel quel.

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

tal qual. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tal%20qual

MLA

“tal qual.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tal%20qual. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tal qual,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tal%20qual.

Source: tal qual on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.