The verb 'toll' meaning to ring a bell slowly originates from Middle English 'tollen', 'tullen', which meant to entice, draw, or pull, and by extension, to ring a bell by pulling a rope. This Middle English term is believed to be a variant of 'tillen', meaning to draw or pull, from Old English -tyllan, found in compounds. The ultimate origin is likely onomatopoeic, imitating the sound of a bell. The specific sense of ringing with slow, measured strokes, especially for a death, became established by the 16th century, evolving from the general action of bell-ringing. Thus, 'tolling' carries the auditory and rhythmic imagery of its imitative roots into its solemn modern usage.

The word 'tolling' is the present participle or gerund form of the verb 'toll'. The base verb 'toll' is considered a simplex word of Germanic origin, likely imitative in nature, and is not productively formed from smaller, meaningful morphemes in modern English.