From Old English 'belle,' likely related to 'bellan' (to bellow) — probably sound-symbolic, named for the resonant noise it makes.
A hollow metallic instrument, typically cup-shaped with a flared opening, that produces a clear ringing sound when struck.
From Old English 'belle' (bell), from Proto-Germanic *bellǭ, related to Old English 'bellan' (to bellow, to roar, to bark). The deeper etymology connects to PIE *bʰel- (to sound, to roar, to make noise), making the bell literally 'the thing that bellows.' This PIE root is remarkably productive for sound-words: it also gave Latin 'flāre' (to blow), Old Norse 'belja' (to bellow), Lithuanian 'bìlti' (to start