Sunday, 24 April 2016

tintinnabulation - Word of the Day - 24/04/16

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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