clang

English

Etymology

1570, of imitative origin; Compare also Saterland Frisian Kloang, West Frisian klank, Dutch klank, German Klang (from klingen), Danish and Swedish klang, Latin clangere.

Pronunciation

• enPR: klăng, IPA^(key): /klæŋ/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æŋ

Noun

clang (plural clangs)

1. A loud, ringing sound, like that made by free-hanging metal objects striking each other.
   • 1969, Paul McCartney (lyrics and music), “Maxwell's Silver Hammer”, in Abbey Road, performed by The Beatles:

     Bang, bang, Maxwell's silver hammer
     Came down upon her head
     Clang, clang, Maxwell's silver hammer
     Made sure that she was dead

2. Quality of tone.
3. The cry of some birds, including the crane and the goose.
4. (psychology, psychiatry) A word or phrase linked only by sound and not by meaning, characteristic of some mental disorders.
   • 1973, Oliver Sacks, Awakenings:

     For much of this day, Mrs Y. wrote in her diary, covering page after page in a rapid scrawl full of paligraphic repetitions, puns, clangs, and violent, perseverative crossings-out […]

5. (music) Alternative form of klang

Translations

loud ringing sound

• Bulgarian: звънтеж (bg) m (zvǎntež)
• Czech: jasný kovový zvuk
• Esperanto: sonoro (eo)
• Finnish: helähdys (fi), kilahdus (fi)
• Latin: clangor m
• Macedonian: ѕвек m (dzvek), ѕвекот m (dzvekot), ждрингот m (ždringot)
• Russian: лязг (ru) m (ljazg), звон (ru) m (zvon), бряца́ние (ru) n (brjacánije)
• Scottish Gaelic: gliong m
• Swedish: klang (sv) n

quality of tone

• Finnish: sointi (fi)
• Swedish: klang (sv) n

cry of crane, goose, etc

• Czech: kejhání n
• French: (of crane) glapissement m; (of goose) criaillement m, sifflement m

Verb

clang (third-person singular simple present clangs, present participle clanging, simple past and past participle clanged)

1. (transitive) To strike (objects) together so as to produce a clang.
   • a. 1722 (date written), Matthew Prior, “The First Hymn of Callimachus. To Jupiter.”, in The Poetical Works of Matthew Prior […], Edinburgh: James Nichol, […], published 1858, →OCLC, page 207, lines 58–60:

     Around, the first Curetes (order solemn / To thy foreknowing mother!) trod tumultuous / Their mystic dance, and clanged their sounding arms; [...]

2. (intransitive) To give out a clang; to resound.
   • 2015 May 25, Daniel Taylor, “Norwich reach Premier League after early blitz sees off Middlesbrough”, in The Guardian (London)‎^[1]:

     Middlesbrough will wonder whether it might have been different if the volley that Jelle Vossen slashed towards John Ruddy’s net after nine minutes had been a couple inches lower rather than clanging off the crossbar. They should not dwell on that moment too long, however.

   • 1933, Norvell Page, Wings of the Black Death:

     A cell door clanged metallically and Wentworth was flung inside. He tripped, collapsed upon the concrete floor.

   • 1920, Edith Wharton, chapter XXIX, in The Age of Innocence‎^[2]:

     The clanging and groaning of the train came nearer, and it staggered slowly into the station like a prey- laden monster into its lair.

   • 1917, Rose Wilder Lane, Henry Ford’s Own Story:

     Then the sparks flew from the anvil while the great hammer clanged on the metal, shaping it, and Henry begged to be allowed to try it

3. (psychology, psychiatry) To utter a word or phrase linked only by sound and not by meaning, characteristic of some mental disorders.

Derived terms

• aclang
• clanger
• clanging
• clangous
• clangy
• reclang

 

Translations

transitive: strike (objects) together to produce a clang

• Czech: zvonit (cs) impf, zazvonit pf
• Finnish: kilauttaa (fi), heläyttää
• Ingrian: helähyttää

intransitive: give out a clang

• Bulgarian: звъня (bg) (zvǎnja), звънтя (bg) (zvǎntja)
• Czech: zvonit (cs) impf, zazvonit pf
• Finnish: kilahtaa (fi), helähtää
• Ingrian: helähtää
• Polish: szczękać impf, szczęknąć pf

Interjection

clang

1. Imitative of a loud metallic ringing sound.
2. (humorous) Said after someone has name-dropped (mentioned a famous person with whom they are acquainted).

Old English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /klɑnɡ/, [klɑŋɡ]

Verb

clang

1. first/third-person singular preterite indicative of clingan