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Tell

2 stages from Old English to English.

Today it means to communicate information; (archaic) to count

Where does the word "tell" come from? It comes from Old English tellan, adopted directly into English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
tellan
Old English · medieval
"to count; to relate"
'to count, reckon, relate'; to tell a story was to recount it
2
Stage 2 of 2
tell
English · 1300s
"to relate; to count"
the counting sense survives in a bank 'teller', in 'all told', and in the tellers who count votes in the House of Commons
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Tell’s story begins in Old English: tellan meant “to count; to relate.” 'to count, reckon, relate'; to tell a story was to recount it. It reached English by 1300s as tell. The counting sense survives in a bank 'teller', in 'all told', and in the tellers who count votes in the House of Commons. Today, tell means to communicate information; (archaic) to count.