Tolling
/ˈtoʊ.lɪŋ/noun
The act of ringing a bell, especially slowly and repeatedly, or the sound of a bell being rung.
Did you know?In English church tradition, tolling bells were used to mark funerals and announce the passing of a soul, which is why the word still carries such a solemn, almost supernatural weight.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*del-
“to strike, hit, or inflict a blow”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*tallōną
“to ring, sound, or strike a bell”
Old English
OE
tellan
“to count, reckon; later influenced in sense by bell-ringing usage”
Middle English
ME
tollen
“to ring a bell slowly and repeatedly; to summon or announce”
Modern English
English
tolling
“ringing a bell in a slow, repeated way”