'storyteller' is a compound formed from 'story' + 'teller'. 'story' ultimately comes from Old French 'estoire' (later 'istoire') from Latin 'historia' meaning 'account, narrative'. 'tell' comes from Old English 'tellan' meaning 'to count, relate'.

'story' entered Middle English as 'storie' via Old French 'estoire/istoire'; 'tell' developed from Old English 'tellan' to Middle English 'tellen/teller'. The compound 'storyteller' formed in English to denote one who tells stories and became established in Modern English.

Initially elements referred to accounts or recounting of events ('history'/'telling'); over time the compound broadened from recounting factual histories to include fictional and imaginative narrative performance, becoming 'a person who tells stories' in general.