Английский Этимологический словарь - tally (n.)

- 1440, "stick marked with notches to indicate amount owed or paid," from Anglo-Fr. tallie, from M.L. tallia, from L. talea "a cutting, rod, stick." Meaning "a thing that matches another" first recorded 1651, said to be from practice of splitting a tally lengthwise, debtor and creditor each retaining one of the halves. The verb is c.1200, from M.L. talliare "to tax," from tallia.