tintinnabulation
noun
Pronunciation
tin·tin·nab·u·la·tion \ˌtin-tə-ˌna-byə-ˈlā-shən\
Definition
- the ringing or sounding of bells
- a jingling or tinkling sound as if of bells
Examples
The merry tintinnabulation of church bells called the people to worship.
Did You Know?
If the sound of tintinnabulation rings a bell, that may be because it traces to a Latin interpretation of the sound a ringing bell makes. Our English word derives from tintinnabulum, the Latin word for "bell." That Latin word, in turn, comes from the verb tintinnare, which means "to ring, clang, or jingle." Like the English terms "ting" and "tinkle," tintinnare originated with a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it-that is, it is onomatopoeic. Edgar Allan Poe celebrates the sonic overtones of tintinnabulation in his poem "The Bells," which includes lines about "the tintinnabulation that so musically wells / From the bells, bells, bells, bells, / Bells, bells, bells-/ From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells."
Origin of tintinnabulation
Latin tintinnabulum bell, from tintinnare to ring, jingle, from tinnire
First Known Use: 1831
Merriam-Webster
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