Etymology: This and the verb of same form are of somewhat obscure history; but they were evidently derived in some way from Latin cymbalum cymbal n., in Old English cimbal, cimbala, which would naturally give a Middle English *chimbel, *chimble. Compare also Middle High German zimbel, zimel (masculine and neuter), zimbele (feminine) ‘a small bell struck with a hammer.’ But while Middle English chimbe, chime, chim agrees with the first part of chimbel, the loss of the latter part is not clearly accounted for (compare however much, lite, badde, < muchel, litel, bæddel). Chimbe may however have been from Old French: Godefroy has a single instance of chinbe = cymbal. As to the passages in which ‘cymbal’ is expressed by chymbe belle, chymme belle, these may indicate that a Middle English *chimbel was thus popularly understood and divided, making chimbe or chim a distinct word; but, on the other hand, if chimbe or chim already existed, the analysis of chimbel as chimbe bell would be equally natural. The following are the instances in question:c1300 K. Alis. 1852 Anon he doth his bemen blowe, v.c. [500] on a throwe. His chymbe belle he doth rynge, And doth dassche gret taborynge.c1440 Promptorium Parvulorum 75 Ch(y)mme belle [H. P. chyme bell], cimbalum.

Etymology: Middle English chimb(e : compare Old English ‘cim-stanas bases of a pillar’ alleged by Somner. Also Dutch kim , Middle Dutch kimme (*kembe , *kemme , Flemish kemme ) feminine, edge of a cask, Middle Low German kimme (feminine), kimm (masculine), modern German kimme , edge, border (kimm-wasser bilge-water); which appear to point to a West Germanic *kimma or *kimba feminine. Apparently related is Old English cimbing , explained as ‘commissura’, ? joining, jointing; compare German kimmung horizon, mirage, kimmen to notch, provide with a ‘chimb’. The general sense appears to be ‘edge’. In late use the word is often altered to chine n.³

Etymology: Middle English chimbe , chyme , belongs to chimbe , chyme , chime n.¹A corresponding verb occurs in the modern Scandinavian languages and dialects. In Swedish dialect, Ihre 1766 has kimba ‘to strike the bell with a quick succession of strokes’ as used in Upland; it is now obsolete there, but still used in part of Finland (Uleåborg). Kimma pronounced /ˈtʃɪmə/ is in Götland ‘to strike a church bell with the clapper instead of ringing’, and in the island of Gotland pronounced /ˈkɪmə/ ‘to strike a bell with a hammer or smooth stone’. Norwegian (Aasen) has kime /ˈtʃiːmə/ in same sense, and Danish kime /ˈkiːmə/ to ring an alarum bell, toll a bell, ring chimes. Although thus widely diffused, the word is not in Old Norse, nor even in the language of the middle period before the Reformation in 1527; Swedish scholars think it possibly from English.

Etymology: < chime n.²