Tale and Tell Were Once Also About Counting
A tale is a story. The word's family covers both telling and counting.
A tale is a story, especially a fictional or traditional one. Old English *talu* meant both a narrative and a number or reckoning, and that double sense is still visible: a bank *teller* counts money rather than telling stories, *all told* means all counted, and German *Zahl* means a number while *erzählen* means to narrate. Telling and counting were one idea. *Tale* pairs with *tell* by the same vowel alternation as *sale* with *sell*.
- A story. *A fairy tale.*
- A reckoning (archaic). *All told.*
- Tell — the verb. *To tell.*
- Teller — one who counts. *A bank teller.*
- Old English — *talu*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | tale | A tale. |
| Plural | tales | Tales. |
| Verb | tell | To tell. |
| Agent | teller | A teller. |
| German | Zahl | A number. |
- He told a long tale.Story.
- Forty, all told.Counting.
- A bank teller counts.Survival.
Telling and counting
- All told — all counted
- Teller — one who counts money or votes
- Untold — too many to count
- German Zahl — a number; *erzählen*, to narrate
- Tally is unrelated, from Latin *talea*, a stick
Old English *talu*, a story or a number, of Germanic origin, related to *tell*.
Why is a bank clerk called a teller?
Because tell once meant to count. A teller counts money, and all told means all counted.
What does untold mean?
Literally uncounted, hence too many or too great to be measured.