Where does “fortælle” come from?

fortælle (Danish) comes from Middle Low German vörtellen, from Middle Low German tellen, from Old Saxon tellian, from Proto-West Germanic talljan, from Proto-Germanic taljaną, from Proto-Germanic talą, from Proto-Indo-European dol-, from Proto-Indo-European del- — to aim, calculate, adjust, count; to reckon,...

fortælle (Danish): To tell, to report; To narrate

Definitions

  1. To tell, to report; To narrate

Ancestry of “fortælle”, step by step

fortælle traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle Low German vörtellen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Low Germanvörtellento tell, to narrate, to recount
2Middle Low Germantellento count, to tell
3Old Saxontellianto count; to tell
4Proto-West Germanictalljanto count, to enumerate; to recount, to tell
5Proto-Germanictaljanąto enumerate, count; to account, recount, tell
6Proto-Germanictaląspeech; number
7Proto-Indo-Europeandol-reckoning, calculation, fraud; calculation, fraud
8Proto-Indo-Europeandel-to aim, calculate, adjust, count; to reckon,...

via Danish tælle

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Danishtælletallow; to count; to number
2Danishtalgtallow; suet
3Middle Low Germantalch—
4Old Saxontalg—
5Proto-West Germanic*talg—
6Proto-Germanictalgaztallow
7Proto-Indo-Europeandolgʰosfat

via Danish før

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Danishførbefore; before, until; before, prior, sooner
2Old Norsefóðrfodder; sheath
3Middle Low Germanvōderlinen, sheath; sheath, linen
4Proto-Germanicfōdrąfodder; sheath
5Proto-Germanicfōdôfood, nourishment
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpat-to feed; path; to go

Words derived from “fortælle”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European del- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European dol- →Every word from Proto-Germanic talą →