tintinnabuli
/ˌtɪntɪnəˈbjuːlaɪ/
noun
Origin
Latin
tintinnare — to ring or tinkle
Overview
Meaning Now
- A compositional style developed by Arvo Pärt characterized by two voices: one playing a diatonic melody, the other arpeggiating the tonic triad.
- A plural form of the Latin noun 'tintinnabulum', meaning small bells.
Literal older meaning
little bells
Language path
Latin → Latin
Earliest form
tintinnabulum
Earliest period
Classical Latin
Journey
The term was adopted by the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt in 1976. He chose the word because it reminded him of bells, capturing the bell-like quality he sought to achieve through the mathematical simplicity of his two-voice texture. The term is now a standard descriptor for this specific school of musical minimalism.
Evolution
- Classical Latin
tintinnabulum
“a small bell”
Derivative of the verb 'tintinnare'.
- 1976
tintinnabuli
“a musical style based on bell-like resonance”
Coined by Arvo Pärt to describe his minimalist technique.
Connections
Word parts
tintinn-
root
onomatopoeic representation of ringing
-abulum
suffix
instrumental suffix denoting a tool or object
Related across languages
Italian
tintinnio
tinkling
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Related to tintinnabuli
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.