Tell

Tell is a term with multiple meanings. As a verb, it means to convey information, recount a story, or disclose something. It is also used as a noun in specialized senses and appears as a proper name.

In everyday language, tell governs constructions such as tell someone something, tell a story, or tell the truth. The past tense is told and the present participle telling. The noun tell also appears in phrases like tell-tale, meaning revealing or indicating.

In archaeology, tell (or tel) denotes a mound formed by the long-term accumulation of human occupation. Such tells are common in the Near East and are excavated to study successive layers of settlement. The term comes from the Arabic tell, meaning hill or mound, and the English usage preserves this sense to describe tell sites in regions such as modern-day Israel, Jordan, and Syria.

William Tell is a Swiss legendary folk hero associated with the early Swiss Confederation, especially the canton of Uri. The most famous episode describes him being forced to shoot an apple off his son’s head with a crossbow, after which he becomes a symbol of resistance to tyranny. The tale’s earliest written references date to the 15th century in Swiss chronicles, and its historicity is debated. The story has influenced literature and music, notably Friedrich Schiller’s drama William Tell, which helped popularize the figure beyond Switzerland.

Tell also appears as a surname and in place names. Across its uses, the term remains neutral in meaning apart from its mythic and cultural associations.