A singing tone

canto, āvi, ātum, 1, v. n. and a. [cano], freq. in form, but mostly agrees in meaning with cano.

Neutr., to produce melodious sounds (by the voice or an instrument), to sound, sing, play (class. in prose and poetry; rare in Cic.).

Of men:

Pamphilam Cantatum provocemus,

Ter. Eun. 3, 1, 53:

saltare et cantare,

Cic. Cat. 2, 10, 23:

neque enim vocum suavitate videntur aut novitate quădam cantandi revocare eos solitae (sirenes),

id. Fin. 5, 18, 49:

Arcades ambo Et cantare pares,

Verg. E. 7, 5; 10, 32:

cantando victus,

id. ib. 3, 21; Tib. 2, 1, 66:

adimam cantare severis,

Hor. Ep. 1, 19, 9:

ut (cantores) numquam inducant animum cantare rogati,

id. S. 1, 3, 2; Suet. Tit. 3: non est Cantandum, there is no occasion for singing, i. e. for imagination, fiction, Juv. 4, 35.—Of an actor:

cantante eo (Nerone) ne necessariă quidem causă excedere theatro licitum erat,

Suet. Ner. 23; 20; id. Vesp. 4 al.; cf.

under II. B. 2.: conducta veni, ut fidibus cantarem seni,

Plaut. Ep. 3, 4, 64:

structis avenis,

Ov. M. 1, 677:

ad chordarum sonum,

Nep. Epam. 2, 1.—Less freq. of instrumental music, and only with abl. of the instrument (cf. cano):

tibiis,

Nep. Epam. 2, 1; id. ib. praef. § 1; Vulg. Luc. 7, 32:

lituo, tubă,

Gell. 20, 2, 2:

calamo,

Sen. Ben. 4, 6, 5: ad manum histrioni, in comedy, to sing and play while the actor accompanies the song with gestures or dancing, Liv. 7, 2, 10; cf. Val. Max. 2, 4, 4.— Pass. impers.:

in caelo cantatur et psallitur,

Arn. 3, 21.—Prov.:

surdo,

Prop. 4 (5), 8, 47, and ad surdas aures, Ov. Am. 3, 7, 61, to preach to deaf ears; cf. cano, II. B.—

Of the singing pronunciation of an orator, to declaim in a singing tone, to sing, drawl: si cantas, male cantas, si legis, cantas, C. Caesar ap. Quint. 1, 8, 2; 11, 1, 56; 11, 3, 57; 11, 3, 58; 11, 3, 59; 11, 3, 60; cf. Juv. 10, 178.—Hence, to recite, declaim:

quaecumque sedens modo legerat, haec eadem... cantabit versibus isdem,

Juv. 7, 153.—

Of birds and fowls:

prius quam galli cantent,

crow, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 96; so,

deos gallis signum dedisse cantandi,

Cic. Div. 2, 26, 57:

cantantes aves,

Prop. 4 (5), 9, 30.—

Transf., of instruments, to sound, resound:

pastoris bucina cantat,

Prop. 4 (5), 10, 30:

cantabat fanis, cantabat tibia ludis,

Ov. F. 6, 659 sq. —

Act., to make some person or thing the subject of one ' s singing, playing, or song (cf. cano, II.).

With the song itself, carmen, versus, etc., as object, to sing, play, recite:

carmina non prius Audita canto,

Hor. C. 3, 1, 4:

rustica verba,

Tib. 2, 1, 52:

Hymen cantatus,

Ov. H. 12, 137; cf.:

Hymenaeum qui cantent,

Ter. Ad. 5, 7, 7:

obscena,

Ov. F. 3, 676.—

With particular persons or things, the subjects of song, as objects, to sing, to celebrate or praise in song, sing of, write poetry upon, etc.:

celebrem deum,

Tib. 2, 1, 83:

absentem amicam,

Hor. S. 1, 5, 15:

rivos,

id. C. 2, 19, 11:

convivia, proelia virginum,

id. ib. 1, 6, 19:

Augusti tropaea,

id. ib. 2, 9, 19:

Pythia (sc. certamina),

id. A. P. 414:

cantari dignus,

Verg. E. 5, 54:

per totum cantabimur orbem,

Ov. Am. 1, 3, 25; 2, 17, 33; cf.:

illa meis multum cantata libellis,

Mart. 9, 50, 1:

cantatus Achilles,

Ov. Am. 2, 1, 29:

laudes tuas,

id. F. 2, 658. —Esp.,

Of an actor, to represent a part, to act (cf. supra, I. A.):

cantavit (Nero) Orestem matricidam, Oedipodem excaecatum, etc.,

Suet. Ner. 21:

Nioben,

id. ib. 21:

tragoedias,

id. ib. 21:

fabulam,

id. ib. 46 fin.:

epinicia,

id. ib. 43 fin. —

Hence, because the oracles were of old uttered in verse, of any mysterious, prophetic, or warning utterance, to predict, warn, point out, indicate, make known, say:

vera cantas? vana vellem,

Plaut. Most. 4, 2, 64. —Of inanimate things:

urna haec litterata est: ab se cantat cuja sit,

Plaut. Rud. 2, 5, 21:

civi inmoeni scin quid cantari solet?

id. Trin. 2, 2, 69; id. Bacch. 4, 9, 61.—

To bring something repeatedly to recollection, to reiterate, harp upon, forewarn of or against:

haec dies noctes canto, ut caveas,

Plaut. Trin. 2, 2, 12:

harum mores,

Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 19:

nam, ut scis, jam pridem istum canto Caesarem,

Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 11 (13), 1:

quid fati provida cantet avis,

Tib. 2, 5, 12:

quae me juvene utique cantare solebant,

Quint. 8, 3, 76.—

In the lang. of religion, as v. n. or a., to use enchantments, charms, incantations, to enchant, to charm, Cato, R. R. 160, 1; Varr. R. R. 1, 2, 27:

frigidus in pratis cantando rumpitur anguis,

Verg. E. 8, 71:

cantata Luna,

exorcised by magic, Prop. 4 (5), 5, 13:

falx,

Ov. H. 6, 84:

herbae,

id. M. 7, 98:

ignis,

Sil. 1, 430:

tum quoque cantato densetur carmine caelum,

an incantation, Ov. M. 14, 369.—

To call forth, produce by charms:

et chelydris cantare soporem,

Sil. 8, 498:

cantata umbra,

Luc. 6, 767.

cantĭcum, i, n. [cantus].

Lit., a song in the Roman comedy, sung by one person, and accompanied by music and dancing; a monody, solo:

nosti canticum (in Demiurgo Turpilii), meministi Roscium,

Cic. Fam. 9, 22, 1:

agere,

Liv. 7, 2, 9:

desaltare,

Suet. Calig. 54:

histrio in cantico quodam,

id. Ner. 39:

Neroniana,

id. Vit. 11:

Atellanis notissimum canticum exorsis,

id. Galb. 13.—

A song, in gen.:

chorus canticum Insonuit,

Phaedr. 5, 7, 25:

canticum repetere,

id. 5, 7, 31:

omne convivium obscenis canticis strepit,

Quint. 1, 2, 8; 1, 10, 23; cf. id. 1, 8, 2; 1, 12, 14; 9, 2, 35; 11, 3, 13.—

Esp. Canticum Canticorum, the Song of Songs, the Canticles, Vulg.—Hence,

A singing tone in the delivery of an orator, Cic. Or. 18, 57; Plin. Ep. 2, 14, 13; cf. Quint. 1, 8, 2; 11, 3, 13.—

A lampoon, a libellous song, Paul. Sent. 5, 4, 15; cf. App. Mag. 75, p. 322, 8.—

A magic formula, incantation, App. Mag. p. 301, 12.

căno, cĕcĭni, cantum (ancient imp. cante = canite, Carm. Sal. ap. Varr. L. L. 7, § 37 Müll.; fut. perf. canerit = cecinerit, Lib. Augur. ap. Fest. s. v. rumentum, p. 270 ib.; perf. canui = cecini, acc. to Serv. ad Verg. G. 2, 384, predominant in concino, occino, etc.—Examples of sup. cantum and part. cantus, canturus, a, um, appear not to be in use; the trace of an earlier use is found in Paul. ex Fest. p. 46 Müll.: canta pro cantata ponebant;

once canituri,

Vulg. Apoc. 8, 13), 3, v. n. and a. [cf. kanassô, kanachê, konabos; Germ. Hahn; Engl. chanticleer; kuknos, ciconice; Sanscr. kōkas = duck; Engl. cock], orig. v. n., to produce melodious sounds, whether of men or animals; later, with a designation of the subject-matter of the melody, as v. a., to make something the subject of one ' s singing or playing, to sing of, to celebrate, or make known in song, etc.

Neutr., to utter melodious notes, to sing, sound, play.

Of men:

si absurde canat,

Cic. Tusc. 2, 4, 12; Plin. Ep. 3, 18, 9:

celebrare dapes canendo,

Ov. M. 5, 113:

si velim canere vel voce vel fidibus,

Cic. Div. 2, 59, 122; Quint. 5, 11, 124; 1, 8, 2; Gell. 19, 9, 3:

quemadmodum tibicen sine tibiis canere non possit,

Cic. de Or. 2, 83, 338; cf.:

tibia canentum,

Lucr. 4, 587; 5, 1384; Cic. Tusc. 1, 2, 4; Quint. 1, 10, 14:

curvo calamo,

Cat. 63, 22:

harundine,

Ov. M. 1, 683; Suet. Caes. 32:

cithara,

Tac. A. 14, 14:

lituus quo canitur,

Cic. Div. 1, 17, 30; Verg. E. 2, 31:

movit Amphion lapides canendo,

Hor. C. 3, 11, 2; Serv. ad Verg. G. 2, 417 al.; Cic. Brut. 50, 187.—

Of the faulty delivery of an orator, to speak in a sing-song tone:

inclinată ululantique voce more Asiatico canere,

Cic. Or. 8, 27; cf. canto and canticum.—

Of animals (usu. of birds, but also of frogs), Varr. L. L. 5, § 76 Müll.:

volucres nullă dulcius arte canant,

Prop. 1, 2, 14; Cic. Div. 1, 7, 12:

merula canit aestate, hieme balbutit,

Plin. 10, 29, 42, § 80; 10, 32, 47, § 89:

ranae alio translatae canunt,

id. 8, 58, 83, § 227.—Of the raven, Cic. Div. 1, 7, 12.—Esp., of the crowing of a cock:

galli victi silere solent, canere victores,

to crow, Cic. Div. 2, 26, 56; v. the whole section; id. ib. 2, 26, 56, § 57; Col. 8, 2, 11; Plin. 10, 21, 24, § 49 (cf. also cantus):

gallina cecinit, interdixit hariolus (the crowing of a hen being considered as an auspicium malum),

Ter. Phorm. 4, 4, 27.—

In the lang. of the Pythagoreans, of the heavenly bodies (considered as living beings),

the music of the spheres, Cic. N. D. 3, 11, 27.—

Transf., of the instruments by which, or ( poet.) of the places in which, the sounds are produced, to sound, resound:

canentes tibiae,

Cic. N. D. 2, 8, 22:

maestae cecinere tubae,

Prop. 4 (5), 11, 9:

frondiferasque novis avibus canere undique silvas,

and the leafy forest everywhere resounds with young birds, Lucr. 1, 256; Auct. Aetn. 295.

Act., to make something or some person the subject of one ' s singing or playing.

With carmen, cantilenam, versus, verba, etc., to sing, play, rehearse, recite:

cum Simonides cecinisset, id carmen, quod in Scopam scripsisset,

Cic. de Or. 2, 86, 352:

carmina quae in epulis canuntur,

id. Brut. 18, 71:

in eum (Cossum) milites carmina incondita aequantes eum Romulo canere,

Liv. 4, 20, 2:

Ascraeum cano carmen,

Verg. G. 2, 176; Suet. Caes. 49; Curt. 5, 1, 22: canere versus, Enn. ap. Varr. L. L. 7, § 36 Müll. (Ann. v. 222 Vahl.); Cic. Or. 51, 171; id. Brut. 18, 71:

neniam,

Suet. Aug. 100: idyllia erôtika, Gell. 19, 9, 4, § 10:

verba ad certos modos,

Ov. F. 3, 388:

Phrygium,

Quint. 1, 10, 33 Spald.—The homog. noun is rarely made the subject of the act. voice:

cum in ejus conviviis symphonia caneret,

Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 44, § 105.—

Prov.

Carmen intus canere, to sing for one ' s self, i. e. to consult only one ' s own advantage, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 20, § 53; id. Agr. 2, 26, 68; v. Aspendius.—

Cantilenam eandem canis, like the Gr. to auto adeis asma, ever the old tune, Ter. Phorm. 3, 2, 10; v. cantilena.—

With definite objects.

In gen., to sing, to cause to resound, to celebrate in song, to sing of, Lucr. 5, 328:

laudes mortui,

Varr. L. L. 7, § 70 Müll.:

canere ad tibiam clarorum virorum laudes atque virtutes,

Cic. Tusc. 4, 2, 3; Quint. 1, 10, 10; 1, 10, 31; Liv. 45, 38, 12:

puellis carmine modulato laudes virtutum ejus canentibus,

Suet. Calig. 16 fin.:

dei laudes,

Lact. 6, 21, 9:

deorum laudes,

Val. Max. 1, 8, ext. 8.—So with de:

canere ad tibicinem de clarorum hominum virtutibus,

Cic. Tusc. 1, 2, 3 (cf. cantito):

praecepta,

Hor. S. 2, 4, 11:

jam canit effectos extremus vinitor antes,

Verg. G. 2, 417 Wagn. N. cr.:

nil dignum sermone,

Hor. S. 2, 3, 4:

quin etiam canet indoctum,

id. Ep. 2, 2, 9:

grandia elate, jucunda dulciter, moderata leniter canit,

Quint. 1, 10, 24; Cat. 63, 11:

Io! magna voce, Triumphe, canet,

Tib. 2, 5, 118; Ov. Tr. 4, 2, 52; cf. Hor. C. 4, 2, 47:

haec super arvorum cultu pecorumque canebam,

Verg. G. 4, 559 Wagn.: et veterem in limo ranae cecinere querelam, croaked (according to the ancient pronunciation, kekinere kuerelam, an imitation of the Aristophanic Brekekekex; v. the letter C), id. ib. 1, 378; Lucr. 2, 601:

anser Gallos adesse canebat,

Verg. A. 8, 656:

motibus astrorum nunc quae sit causa, canamus,

Lucr. 5, 510:

sunt tempestates et fulmina clara canenda,

id. 6, 84.—

With pers. objects ( poet. and in post-Aug. prose):

canitur adhuc barbaras apud gentes (Arminius),

Tac. A. 2, 88:

Herculem... ituri in proelia canunt,

id. G. 2:

Dianam,

Cat. 34, 3:

deos regesve,

Hor. C. 4, 2, 13:

Liberum et Musas Veneremque,

id. ib. 1, 32, 10:

rite Latonae puerum,

id. ib. 4, 6, 37;

1, 10, 5: plectro graviore Gigantas, Ov M. 10, 150: reges et proelia,

Verg. E. 6, 3; Hor. C. 4, 15, 32:

arma virumque,

Verg. A. 1, 1:

pugnasque virosque,

Stat. Th. 8, 553:

maxima bella et clarissimos duces,

Quint. 10, 1, 62.—Very rarely, to celebrate, without reference to song or poetry:

Epicurus in quădam epistulă amicitiam tuam et Metrodori grata commemoratione cecinerat,

Sen. Ep. 79, 13.—Esp. of fame, to trumpet abroad:

fama facta atque infecta canit,

Verg. A. 4, 190:

fama digna atque indigna canit,

Val. Fl. 217 al. —And prov., to sing or preach to the deaf:

non canimus surdis,

Verg. E. 10, 8: praeceptorum, quae vereor ne vana surdis auribus cecinerim. Liv. 40, 8, 10.—

Since the responses of oracles were given in verse, to prophesy, foretell, predict.

In poetry:

Sibylla, Abdita quae senis fata canit pedibus,

Tib. 2, 5, 16; cf.:

horrendas ambages,

Verg. A. 6. 99; 3, [p. 280] 444:

fera fata,

Hor. C. 1, 15, 4; cf. id. Epod. 13, 11; id. S. 2, 5, 58; Tib. 1, 7, 1; cf. id. 3, 3, 36; 1, 6, 50; Hor. C. S. 25:

et mihi jam multi crudele canebant Artificis scelus,

Verg. A. 2, 124; Hor. S. 1, 9, 30.—

In prose:

ut haec quae nunc fiunt, canere di inmortales viderentur,

Cic. Cat. 3, 8, 18:

non haec a me tum tamquam fata... canebantur?

id. Sest. 21, 47:

eum, qui ex Thetide natus esset, majorem patre suo futurum cecinisse dicuntur oracula,

Quint. 3, 7, 11; Just. 11, 7, 4; 7, 6, 1; Tac. A. 2, 54; id. H. 4, 54:

cecinere vates, idque carmen pervenerat ad antistitem fani Dianae,

Liv. 1, 45, 5; 5, 15, 4 sq.; 1, 7, 10; Tac. A. 14, 32; Liv. 30, 28, 2; cf. Nep. Att. 16, 4; cf.

of philosophers, etc.: ipsa memor praecepta Canam,

Hor. S. 2, 4, 11 Orell. ad loc.; cf.:

quaeque diu latuere, canam,

Ov. M. 15, 147.

In milit. lang., t. t., both act. and neutr., of signals, to blow, to sound, to give; or to be sounded, resound.

Act.:

bellicum (lit. and trop.) canere, v. bellicus: classicum, v. classicus: signa canere jubet,

to give the signal for battle, Sall. C. 59, 1; id. J. 99, 1:

Pompeius classicum apud eum (sc. Scipionem) cani jubet,

Caes. B. C. 3, 82.— Absol. without signum, etc.: tubicen canere coepit, Auct. B. Afr. 82; cf. Flor. 4, 2, 66.—

Neutr.:

priusquam signa canerent,

Liv. 1, 1, 7:

ut attendant, semel bisne signum canat in castris,

id. 27, 47, 3 and 5; 23, 16, 12;

24, 46 (twice): repente a tergo signa canere,

Sall. J. 94, 5; Liv. 7, 40, 10; Verg. A. 10, 310; Flor. 3, 18, 10:

classicum apud eos cecinit,

Liv. 28, 27, 15.—

Receptui canere, to sound a retreat:

Hasdrubal receptui propere cecinit (i. e. cani jussit),

Liv. 27, 47, 2; Tac. H. 2, 26.— Poet.:

cecinit jussos receptus,

Ov. M. 1, 340.—And in Livy impers.:

nisi receptui cecinisset,

if it had not sounded a counter-march, Liv. 26, 44, 4:

ut referrent pedem, si receptui cecinisset,

id. 3, 22, 6.—

Trop.:

revocante et receptui canente senatu,

Cic. Phil. 12, 3, 8:

ratio abstrahit ab acerbis cogitationibus a quibus cum cecinit receptui,

id. Tusc. 3, 15, 33:

antequam (orator) in has aetatis (sc. senectutis) veniat insidias, receptui canet,

Quint. 12, 11, 4.

to practice magic, to charm, etc., found in the derivv. cantus, canto, etc., are entirely wanting in this verb.