Old English cnyll "sound made by a bell when struck or rung slowly," perhaps of imitative origin. The Welsh cnull "death-bell" appears to be a borrowing from English. For vowel evolution, see bury.
knell (v.)
Old English cnyllan "to toll a bell; strike, knock," cognate with Middle High German erknellen "to resound," Old Norse knylla "to beat, thrash;" probably imitative. Related: Knelled; knelling.
雙語例句
1. The tax increase sounded the death knell for the business.
稅賦的增加為這個企業敲響了喪鍾。
來自柯林斯例句
2. It's going to be the death knell of the red deer.
這將導致馬鹿的滅絕。
來自柯林斯例句
3. The arrival of large supermarkets sounded the death knell of many small local shops.