Definition of tell of

The phrase "tell of" is a preposition followed by a noun in the third person singular. It is derived from the Old English phrase "tellan of," which literally meant "to recount about" or "to narrate concerning." The verb "tellan" in Old English consisted of two different words, "teallan" and "an." "Teallan" meant "to tell," and "an" was used to indicate the idea of a person or thing. So when these words were combined in Old English, they formed the phrase "tellan an," which literally meant "to tell of." Over time, the Old English language evolved, and the verb "tellan" became contracted into one word: "tellan." It then lost its second element, "an," which remained a separate preposition in Old English. The modern form of the phrase "tell of" is a result of this evolution. In Middle English, the phrase became "tellen of," and the spelling was further simplified in Early Modern English. Today, we use the phrase "tell of" to indicate that someone is reporting or recounting something about a particular person, place, or thing.