Tintinnabulum
/ˌtɪn.tɪˈnæb.jə.ləm/noun
A bell, bell-shaped ornament, or a small hanging bell.
Did you know?In Roman and later medieval worlds, bells were not just objects but protective sound-tools, often used in ritual and apotropaic contexts to drive away evil.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ten-
“to resound, ring, or make a thin sound”
Latin
Latin
tinnīre
“to ring, jingle, or tinkle”
Latin
Latin
tintinnāre
“to jingle repeatedly; to ring with a tinkling sound”
Latin
Latin
tintinnābulum
“a little bell; a bell-like object”
Middle English
English
tintinnabulum
“a bell, especially in learned or antiquarian use”
Modern English
English
tintinnabulum
“a bell or bell-shaped ornament, especially in historical or decorative contexts”
Explore more surprising origins