talked-about
|talked-a-bout|
🇺🇸
/ˈtɑktəˌbaʊt/
🇬🇧
/ˈtɔːktəˌbaʊt/
(talk about)
subject of discussion
Etymology
'talked-about' originates from English, a compound of the verb 'talk' and the preposition 'about', where 'talk' meant 'to speak' and 'about' meant 'concerning' or 'on the subject of'.
'talk' developed from Middle English 'talken' (to speak) (ultimately from Old English and related Germanic roots), and 'about' comes from Old English 'abutan' meaning 'on the outside of, concerning'; the combined phrase 'talked about' evolved as the past participle of the phrasal verb 'talk about' and later came to be used attributively as 'talked-about'.
Initially, the parts meant 'spoke' + 'concerning' (i.e., 'spoke concerning something'); over time the compound came to denote something that is the subject of discussion ('the subject being spoken about').
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
past participle form of 'talk about'; used in passive or perfect constructions (e.g., 'was talked about').
Her ideas were talked-about by many colleagues during the meeting.
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Adjective 1
frequently discussed in public; the subject of much attention or conversation.
The new restaurant was the most talked-about place in town.
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Last updated: 2025/12/02 08:55