Where does “cant” come from?

cant (Middle Scots) comes from Middle English cant, 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 Scots): lively

Definitions

  1. lively

Ancestry of “cant”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcantbold, lively, cant
2Middle Low Germankant—
3Middle Dutchkant—
4Latincanthusthe iron ring around a carriage wheel; the tire;...
5Gaulishcantos—
6Proto-Celticcantoscorner, rim
7Proto-Indo-Europeankh₂ndʰ—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kh₂ndʰ →Every word from Proto-Celtic cantos →Every word from Gaulish cantos →