'foretell' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'foretellan,' where 'fore-' meant 'before' and 'tellan' meant 'to count or recount.'

'foretellan' transformed into the Middle English word 'fortellen,' and eventually became the modern English word 'foretell.'

Initially, it meant 'to recount or tell beforehand,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.