Where does “cant” come from?
cant (Middle English) comes from Middle Low German kant, from Middle Dutch kant, from Latin canthus, from Gaulish cantos, from Proto-Celtic cantos, from Proto-Indo-European kh₂ndʰ.
cant (Middle English): bold, lively, cant
Ancestry of “cant”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Low German | kant | — |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | kant | — |
| 3 | Latin | canthus | the iron ring around a carriage wheel; the tire;... |
| 4 | Gaulish | cantos | — |
| 5 | Proto-Celtic | cantos | corner, rim |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kh₂ndʰ | — |