tellen

Forms

tellen^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch tellen, inherited from Old Dutch tellen, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *talljan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *taljaną (“to count, to tell”).^[1][2] The verb is derived, with umlaut of the vowel, from the root of taal “language” and tal “number”.^[2][3][4] Kroonen links it with Proto-Germanic *tala- (“number; speech”) and thinks its oldest meaning was “to put in a row”, whence “to count, recount”.^[5]

The same verb is Old Saxon tellian, Old High German zellen (modern German zählen), Old Frisian tella, Old English tellan (modern English tell), Old Norse telja and Gothic 𐍄𐌰𐌻𐌶𐌾𐌰𐌽 (talzjan, “to instruct”).^[2][3] The WNT says nothing certain is known of its further origin;^[6][1] Wiktionary compares Latin dolus (“guile”).^[6][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Old Dutch tellen first meant “to tell, proclaim”: the 10th-century Wachtendonck Psalms have tellon sal ic …, huo deda sela mina “I will tell how He dealt with my soul” and himiln tellunt guodlickheidt Godes “the heavens declare the glory of God”.^[2][7] A text from Egmond of about 1100 uses it for “to reckon among”.^[7] In Middle Dutch it glosses Latin numerare and enumerare in Limburg in 1240.^[8][2]

Semantic evolution

Middle Dutch tellen meant to count and calculate, to reckon as, and to tell or relate; in 1285 a text speaks of counting all one's companions of twenty years and older.^[8][2][3] The sense “to say, tell” was common in Middle Dutch but then passed to the derivative vertellen; the WNT calls tellen “to talk” long obsolete.^[2][6] In medieval markets goods such as fish were sold by count, and the MNW records the teller and telgelt of that trade.^[9]

The noun tel “count” is found around 1600;^[2] geen tien tellen “not ten counts later” is recorded in 1726, in tel zijn “to count, matter” in 1753 and buiten tel “not counted” in 1773.^[2] Geen tien kunnen tellen describes someone who looks foolish; earlier the number was five, and in Flanders it is three.^[6][10] In Belgium tellen op iemand “to count on someone” was censured as a gallicism for rekenen op.^[11]

The verb was borrowed into Sranan Tongo as teri (older telli), and into Aukan teli, Berbice Dutch tali and Negerhollands tel.^[12][1] Afrikaans has tel.^[1]

Timeline

• 901–1000 – Old Dutch tellen “to tell, proclaim” appears in the Wachtendonck Psalms.^[7][2][13]
• 1100 – Tellen “to reckon among” is recorded in Egmond.^[7]
• 1240 – Middle Dutch tellen glosses Latin numerare in Limburg.^[8][2]
• 1285 – Tellen is used of counting people.^[2]
• 1508 – Teller is recorded as the top number of a fraction.^[14]
• 1530 – The WNT quotes tellen in the sense “to talk”.^[6]
• 1726 – Geen tien tellens “not ten counts later” is recorded.^[2]
• 1753 – In tel zijn “to matter” is recorded.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. (transitive) To count, to find the number of something by naming the numbers in order.^[15][1]
2. (intransitive) To count, name numbers in order.^[6][1]
3. (intransitive) To be valid, be included; to matter.^[15][1]
4. (transitive) To number, have: of a place with so many inhabitants.^[15]

Word family

• vertellen
• tel
• teller
• telling
• telraam
• telwoord
• aftellen
• optellen
• meetellen
• natellen
• ontelbaar

Related words

• taal
• tal
• getal
• English tell
• German zählen

Usage notes

Another verb tellen, older telden, was said of a horse that ambles, moving both legs on one side together; it is now only regional.^[6][9] Zijn dagen zijn geteld means that someone's end is near.^[15]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Philippa, Marlies; Debrabandere, Frans; Quak, Arend; Schoonheim, Tanneke; Sijs, Nicoline van der (2003–2009), Etymologisch woordenboek van het Nederlands, 4 vols., Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press; online via etymologiebank.nl
3. ^ a b c Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
4. ^ Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
5. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
6. ^ a b c d e f g Vries, Matthias de; Winkel, L. A. te, et al. (1882–1998), Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal, 29 vols., 's-Gravenhage / Leiden: Nijhoff / Sijthoff / SDU; supplement 2001; gtb.ivdnt.org
7. ^ a b c d Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
8. ^ a b c Pijnenburg, W. J. J., et al. (2001), Vroegmiddelnederlands woordenboek: woordenboek van het Nederlands van de dertiende eeuw in hoofdzaak op basis van het Corpus-Gysseling, Leiden: Instituut voor Nederlandse Lexicologie; gtb.ivdnt.org
9. ^ a b Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
10. ^ Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme
11. ^ Vreese, Willem de (1899), Gallicismen in het Zuidnederlandsch, Gent: Siffer
12. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
13. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
14. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
15. ^ a b c d Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers