Where does “enchant” come from?
Enchant comes from Middle English enchaunten, from Old French enchanter, from Latin incantare meaning to chant or sing a spell over, formed from the prefix in- and canthus meaning song.
enchant (English): To attract and delight, to charm; To cast a spell...
Definitions
- To attract and delight, to charm; To cast a spell...
Ancestry of “enchant”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | enchaunten | To enchant; to put under an enchantment; To... |
| 2 | Old French | enchanter | to enchant |
| 3 | Latin | incantō | to sing |
| 4 | Latin | cantō | to enchant, or call forth by charms, chant |
| 5 | Latin | canō | to sing, recite, play |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | kanō | to sing |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | kanô | vessel, vat, tub; boat |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gan- | a vessel, tub; a vessel, vat, tub |