Sonnerie is the French word for a bell or ringtone, and bahut is familiar slang for a secondary school, so the name simply means school bell. Bells like this have long marked lesson changes in French lycées and collèges, moving from traditional bells to recorded electronic tones played over speakers. Shared online as a short ringtone and soundboard clip, it became a handy shortcut for school themed memes, pranks and social videos, especially around the rentrée, and remains popular because almost every former student recognises the sound instantly.