chanter French · revision 16482

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=10th century, Vie de saint Léger|origins=la canō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ʃɑ̃.te/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''chanter'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|cantō|t=to sing]], a frequentative of [[m|la|canō|t=to sing; to prophesy]] that very early competed with the simple verb and took its place.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|2, 220b) “Canere” was a word of augury and magic, whose formulas were rhythmic chants; used of seers and poets, it came to mean “to celebrate in song” and “to foretell”.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Cognate with [[ro|cânta]], [[it|cantare]], [[oc|cantar]], [[ca|cantar]], [[es|cantar]] and [[pt|cantar]].^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Its first records are in the ''Life of Saint Leger'' (10th century), liturgical: ''cantomps de'' “let us celebrate in song” and ''missae cantat'' “he sings Mass”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The ordinary sense “to sing” is used intransitively from about 1050, of birds from the first half of the 12th century and of instruments from the mid-13th century.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) It meant “to tell, relate” in Chrétien de Troyes (1165–70), ''chanter victoire'' “to crow over a victory” from 1796, and, from 1690 to speak with a sing-song intonation.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ''Faire chanter quelqu'un'' meant to get a confession out of someone under torture (1640), and in 1808 to blackmail; from it came [[chantage]] “blackmail” (Vidocq, 1836).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Figuratively it means “to suit, please” (1847), as in familiar ''si ça vous chante'' “if you feel like it”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) A rival explanation of the blackmail sense from the old verb ''canter'' “to lean” is not accepted by the TLFi.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 10th century – ''Cantomps'', ''Life of Saint Leger''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1050 – Intransitive ''chanter'', ''Life of Saint Alexis''.^(TLFi)

+ * First half of the 12th century – Of birds.^(TLFi)

+ * 1165–70 – “To tell”, Chrétien de Troyes.^(TLFi)

+ * 1640 – ''Faire chanter'' “to make (someone) confess”.^(TLFi)

+ * 1808 – ''Faire chanter'' “to blackmail”.^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1847 – “To suit, please”, Leconte de Lisle.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|sing]]: ''chanter juste, faux'', ''chanter une chanson''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # (of birds) To sing, (of a cock) to [[m|en|crow]], (of an instrument) to sound melodiously.^(Wiktionary)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # To [[m|en|celebrate]] in song or verse: ''chanter la gloire de quelqu'un''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(familiar)'' To tell, say: ''qu'est-ce que tu nous chantes là?''.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+ # ''(familiar)'' ''Si ça vous chante'': if you feel like it.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''Faire chanter quelqu'un'': to [[m|en|blackmail]] someone.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''C'est comme si je chantais'': I might as well be talking to the wall.^(GLLF 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[chantable]]

+ * [[chantage]]

+ * [[chanteur]]

+ * [[chantonner]]

+ * [[déchanter]]

+ * [[chantepleure]]

+ * [[rechanter]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[cantate]]

+ * [[chanson]]

+ * [[chant]]

+ * [[chantre]]

+ * [[déchant]]

+ * [[enchantement]]

+ * [[enchanter]]

+ * [[enchanteur]]

+ * [[enchanteresse]]

+ * [[incantation]]

+ * [[la|cantō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}