campanile

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian campanile (“bell tower, belfry”), from campana (“bell”)^[1] + -ile (suffix forming nouns indicating locations that host animals or objects). Campana is derived from Late Latin and Medieval Latin campāna (“large bell used in late classical or medieval church towers or steeples; tower for such a bell, belfry, campanile”), and then either:

• traditionally regarded to be from Latin Campāna (“region of Campania, Italy”) (because bells were supposedly introduced in Christian services in Nola, a diocese of Campania, by Saint Paulinus (c. 354 – 431), though the story has been discredited),^[2] from Campānus (“relating to the region of Campania, Italy, or its inhabitants, Campanian”), from campus (“field, plain”) (from Proto-Indo-European *kh₂em- (“to bend, curve”)) + -ānus (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives, which are sometimes used as nouns); or
• from Ancient Greek καπάνη (kapánē, “felt helmet”) (apparently because of the similarity in shape).

The plural form campanili is derived from Italian campanili.

Pronunciation

• Singular:
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /kæmpəˈniːleɪ/, (rare) /ˈkæmpənɪl/, /-aɪl/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

  • (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌkæmpəˈnili/
  • Hyphenation: cam‧pa‧ni‧le
• Plural (campanili)
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /kæmpəˈniːli/
  • (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌkæmpəˈnili/
  • Hyphenation: cam‧pa‧ni‧li

Noun

campanile (plural campaniles or campanili)

1. A bell tower (especially one that is freestanding), often associated with a church or other public building, especially in Italy.

   The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a campanile.

   • 1914, E[dward] V[errall] Lucas, “Giorgione”, in A Wanderer in Venice, London: Methuen & Co. Ltd. […], →OCLC, pages 294–295:

     There was no doubt as to the direction, with the campanile of the duomo as a beacon. For a quarter of a mile the road is straight and narrow; then it broadens into an open space and Castel Franco appears.

References

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

campanile m (plural campaniles)

1. campanile

Further reading

• “campanile”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Etymology

From campana +‎ -ile. Compare Spanish campanil, Venetan canpaniłe.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kam.paˈni.le/^[1]
• Rhymes: -ile
• Hyphenation: cam‧pa‧nì‧le

Noun

campanile m (plural campanili)

1. bell tower
2. belfry

References