Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

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Bell
(1,128 words)

1. Term

The English word “bell” is onomatopoeic, like the Latin tintinnabulum. The corresponding German term Glocke derives, like Irish cloch, Flemish klok, Swedish klocka, French cloche and presumably also Russian kolokal from MLat. clocca. Whether the latter goes back to a Celtic clocc is disputed. It too may be onomatopoeic.

2. Casting and suspension

The casting of bells as the preferred form of manufacture extends back into the ancient Near East…

Cite this page
Behringer, Wolfgang, “Bell”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 22 March 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_COM_020297>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20160907



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