Campanile

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kæmpəˈniːleɪ/

Definitions

1. A slender, tall tower often found near churches, intended for the placement of bells used for signaling or ceremonies
2. An architectural structure that is predominantly designed to house bells and commonly stands independently next to or within religious complexes
3. A vertical tower purpose-built to hold bells, typically rising adjacent to a church or cathedral to call worshippers or mark time

Etymology: The most striking thing about this word is that its name for "bell tower" may come from a region rather than from bells at all. One traditional account links it to Campania, the region of southern Italy around Naples. According to the story, the Christian use of bells spread from Nola, a town in Campania, thanks to Saint Paulinus in the fourth and fifth centuries, which would connect the tower's name to the place where bells supposedly began. Scholars have since discredited that tale: the bell tradition is not credited to Paulinus or even to Nola, so the regional link rests on a legend. A more likely root is the Latin "campus," meaning field or plain, which gave rise to "Campānus," meaning relating to Campania. Some scholars instead connect the word to the Greek "kapánē," a felt helmet, probably because the bell's dome resembled that shape. The Italian "campana" means bell, and the suffix "-ile" marks a place that houses something, so the word literally names a structure housing bells. The word entered English from Italian, where "campanile" was the name for a freestanding bell tower, often built beside a church. The plural in Italian is "campanili," which is sometimes used in English as well.

Synonyms: bell tower