tellan

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *taljaną, whence also Old Frisian tella, Old Saxon tellian, Old Dutch tellen, Old High German zellen, Old Norse telja. Related to Old English talu (tale, account).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈtellɑn/

Verb

tellan

  1. to count, calculate
    Tealdest þū eall þā sċēap be handa?
    Did you count all the sheep by hand?
    Nēse, iċ hīe tealde mid mīnum hēafde.
    No, I counted them with my head.
    Ac mid þām handum man mæġ tellan hūru oþ tīen, mid þām hēafde būtan oþ ān.
    But with your hands you can count at least to ten, with your head only to one.
  2. to tell, narrate, recount
  3. to regard, consider
    Willelm Sċacaspere is ġeteald tō þām mǣrostan wrītere þæs Englisċan ġereordes.
    William Shakespeare is considered the greatest writer in the English language.
    • c. 990, Wessex Gospels, John 15:15
      Ne telle iċ ēow tō þēowum. Iċ telle ēow tō frēondum.
      I don't see you as servants. I see you as friends.

Conjugation

Derived terms

Descendants


Czech

Noun

tellan m

  1. tellane, tellurane, hydrogen telluride (H2Te)
    Synonym: telurovodík

Further reading

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