chant
pronunciation
How to pronounce chant in British English:
UK [tʃɑːnt]
How to pronounce chant in American English:
US [tʃænt]
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- Noun:
- a repetitive song in which as many syllables as necessary are assigned to a single tone
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- Verb:
- recite with musical intonation; recite as a chant or a psalm
- utter monotonously and repetitively and rhythmically
Word Origin
- chant
- chant: [14] The Latin verb for ‘sing’ was canere (possibly related to English hen). A form derived from it to denote repeated action was cantāre ‘keep on singing’, a rich source of English words. From its French descendant chanter we have chant and the derived chantry [14]; from Italian, cantata [18], originally a past participle; and from the Latin noun cantus ‘song’ the derivatives accent, descant, and canticle [13], as well as (via Italian) canto [16]. Cant ‘hypocritical talk’ is probably from the same source, and shanty or chanty ‘sailor’s song’ is also related.=> accent, cant, cantata, canto, chanty, descant, hen, incantation, recant
- chant (v.)
- late 14c., from Old French chanter "to sing, celebrate" (12c.), from Latin cantare "to sing," originally frequentative of canere "sing" (which it replaced), from PIE root *kan- "to sing" (cognates: Greek eikanos "cock," Old English hana "cock," both literally "bird who sings for sunrise;" Old Irish caniaid "sings," Welsh canu "sing"). The frequentative quality of the word was no longer felt in Latin, and by the time French emerged the word had entirely displaced canere. Related: Chanted; chanting.
- chant (n.)
- 1670s, from chant (v.), or else from French chant (12c.), from Latin cantus "song, a singing; bird-song," from past participle stem of canere.
Example
- 1. Let 's play . Chant and find !
- 2. Most turkish schoolchildren take part in a weekly flag ceremony during which they recite a patriotic chant ending , " happy is he who calls himself a turk . "
- 3. At soccer games in china , fans in stadiums often chant , " xie yalong must resign ! "
- 4. He once lay hidden in a church for three hours listening to gregorian chant .
- 5. Responded some two dozen cheering students , completing the traditional campus chant .