Campanologist

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An expert in the field of bell ringing not only directs the performance and technique of ringing but also possesses an understanding of bell structure and sound dynamics
2. One who practices this art form is involved in both the hands-on methods of ringing and the scientific principles that govern the behavior of bells
3. A person skilled in ringing bells and knowledgeable about their design and acoustic properties

Etymology: "Campanologist" is built from "campanology" plus the suffix "-ist," which marks a person who practises or specialises in something. The first half traces back to the Latin "campana," meaning bell, which in turn is tied to "Campānus," meaning "of Campania," the region of southern Italy where bell-founding was associated with the Latin world. The name of a place, in other words, ended up attached to the object that sounds from church towers. The second half, "-ology," comes from the Greek "logos," meaning word, reason or study, so "campanology" literally means the study of bells. The "-ist" ending was inherited through Latin and French before arriving in English, and it has been used for centuries to name people who work at a craft or field. Together the pieces describe someone who studies bells in the same way a geologist studies rocks.

Synonyms: bell-ringer, bell expert