talebearer
LowFormal, Literary, Archaic
Definition
Meaning
A person who habitually spreads private, often malicious, gossip or rumours.
Someone who reveals secrets or confidential information, causing trouble or discord between people; an informer or gossipmonger.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Strongly negative connotation; implies betrayal of trust and sowing discord. Often used in moral or religious contexts about sinful behaviour.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Equally rare and archaic in both varieties. Slightly more likely to be encountered in British historical or religious texts.
Connotations
Strongly negative in both, implying childishness, malice, and untrustworthiness.
Frequency
Very low frequency in modern usage. The simpler terms 'gossip', 'informant', or 'snitch' are vastly more common.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
(verb) to talebear (against someone)(noun) a talebearer (among friends)talebearing (as a gerund/noun)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Talebearers are just sowing the seeds of discord.”
- “A talebearer reveals secrets, but a trustworthy spirit keeps a matter hidden. (Biblical proverb)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Extremely rare. Might be used metaphorically in a context about ethics or trust: 'We must root out talebearers who leak sensitive project details.'
Academic
Mostly found in historical, literary, or theological studies analysing character or social conflict.
Everyday
Virtually unused in modern conversation. Sounds old-fashioned or excessively formal.
Technical
Not applicable.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The children were told not to talebear to the teacher about minor playground squabbles.
American English
- He was accused of talebearing to management about his colleagues' lunch breaks.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- She is a talebearer. She tells secrets.
- The manager warned the team that talebearing about each other's mistakes would not be tolerated.
- In the close-knit village, a single talebearer could destroy reputations and create long-lasting enmities.
- The political faction was riddled with talebearers who would leak the slightest confidential dissent to the press, undermining unity.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a medieval town CRIER ('bearer') who doesn't announce news but carries ('bears') malicious TALES to cause trouble.
Conceptual Metaphor
GOSSIP/INFORMATION IS A BURDEN (that one carries and delivers maliciously).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'рассказчик' (storyteller). Talebearer is negative. Closer to 'сплетник', 'наушник', 'ябеда'.
- The word 'tale' here does not mean a fictional story, but a report or piece of gossip.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing it with 'storyteller'.
- Using it in a neutral or positive context.
- Misspelling as 'tailbearer'.
- Using it in modern, casual speech where it sounds unnatural.
Practice
Quiz
In a modern office, which term is most likely to be used instead of 'talebearer'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is considered archaic or literary. Words like 'gossip', 'informer', or 'snitch' are far more common in contemporary English.
A storyteller narrates stories, often fictional or entertaining, for an audience. A talebearer spreads private, true or false, information about others, usually with malicious intent to cause harm or discord.
Almost never. Its connotation is strongly negative, associated with betrayal, mischief, and spreading rumours.
Yes, the verb is 'to talebear' (e.g., 'He was known to talebear'), though it is even rarer than the noun. The gerund 'talebearing' is also used.