Tellingly Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

Literature

• In storytelling, using descriptive language can be tellingly effective, allowing readers to infer more from subtle hints.
• Authors often describe actions or settings in a tellingly manner to convey the mood without directly stating it.
• The adverb is often used in critical analyses of literature, highlighting how certain phrases reveal deeper meanings.

Communication

• Body language in conversations can reveal feelings tellingly, such as a nod or eye contact conveying agreement or interest.
• Effective political speeches often use tellingly crafted phrases that resonate emotionally with the audience.
• In nonverbal communication, actions often speak tellingly, indicating true feelings beyond spoken words.

Psychology

• Research in psychology suggests that people can identify emotions in voices tellingly, even without facial expressions.
• The way people phrase their opinions can be tellingly indicative of their underlying beliefs and attitudes.
• Tellingly, studies show that when emotions are expressed implicitly, they can have a stronger impact than explicit expressions.

Pop Culture

• In movies, the use of silence in certain scenes can be tellingly powerful, conveying tension or emotion without dialogue.
• Many famous quotes from films use the adverb to describe actions that unveil the character's true intentions or state of mind.
• Song lyrics often describe situations in a tellingly evocative way, allowing listeners to relate to unspoken feelings.

Main points about word origin

• The word comes from 'tell,' which means to reveal or inform, combined with the suffix '-ly' which indicates manner.
• The base 'tell' has roots in Old English, where it was used to mean 'to count' or 'to relate a story.'
• The '-ly' suffix is often added to adjectives to form adverbs, showing how an action is performed.

The word 'tellingly' is derived from the verb 'tell', which comes from Old English 'tellan', meaning 'to count, relate, narrate, or announce'. The adverbial form 'tellingly' emerged from the combination of 'telling,' which refers to conveying information or communicating something significant, with the adverbial suffix '-ly'. This development in the English language reflects the pivot towards using the adverb to describe not just the action of telling but also the manner in which something is conveyed, emphasizing the implications of what is being said. The historical evolution of 'tell' is rooted in the Proto-Germanic '*talōną', linked to the notion of counting or recounting events, which has evolved to encompass a broader spectrum of communication. Over the centuries, 'tellingly' has been adopted in a range of contexts in literature and speech, particularly in analytical discussions where the implications of actions or statements are highlighted.

This word's position of #30,885 indicates it's among the more rare English words. While understanding it broadens your vocabulary, focus on more common words first.

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