Tintinnabulation
/ˌtɪn.tɪˌnæb.jəˈleɪ.ʃən/noun
A ringing or jingling sound, especially a repeated one.
Did you know?Its core comes from Latin *tintinnāre*, an imitative verb for the ringing of bells, and Edgar Allan Poe later turned it into one of English’s most haunting sound-words in “The Bells.”
Etymological Timeline
Latin (imitative root)
Latin
tintinnāre
“to jingle, ring, or tinkle repeatedly”
Latin
Latin
tintinnābulum
“a bell or small ringing instrument”
Late Latin
Latin
tintinnābulātiō
“a ringing, jingling, or bell-like sound”
19th Century
English
tintinnabulation
“the act or sound of ringing bells; a jingling noise”
Modern English
English
tintinnabulation
“a ringing or jingling sound, especially a repeated one”