Where does “enchantment” come from?
Enchantment comes from Middle English enchauntement, from Old French enchantement, combining Old French en- and chanter (to sing), with the noun-forming suffix Old French -ment from Latin -mentum, ultimately from Latin mens meaning mind.
enchantment (English): The act of enchanting or the feeling of being...
Definitions
- The act of enchanting or the feeling of being...
Ancestry of “enchantment”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | enchauntement | magic, sorcery; sorcerous force |
| 2 | Old French | enchantement | charm |
| 3 | Old French | enchanter | to enchant |
| 4 | Latin | incantō | to sing |
| 5 | Latin | cantō | to enchant, or call forth by charms, chant |
| 6 | Latin | canō | to sing, recite, play |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | kanō | to sing |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | kanô | vessel, vat, tub; boat |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | gan- | a vessel, tub; a vessel, vat, tub |