word-forming element meaning "far, far off," from Greek tele-, combining form of tele "far off, afar, at or to a distance," related to teleos (genitive telos) "end, goal, result, consummation, perfection," literally "completion of a cycle," from PIE *kwel-es- (cf. Sanskrit caramah "the last," Breton pell "far off," Welsh pellaf "uttermost"), from root *kwel- (see cycle).