Etymograph

English

incantation

Incantation comes from Latin incantatio ‘enchantment’, from canō ‘to sing, recite, play’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *keh₂n-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*keh₂n-‘to sing’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*kh₂nétireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kanō‘to sing’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcanō‘to sing, recite, play’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcantō‘to enchant, or call forth by charms, chant’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEincantō‘sing, recite, enchant’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEincantatio‘enchantment’
  8. Old Frenchc. 842–1400incantation
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500incantacioun
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1591incantation

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*keh₂n-‘to sing’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*kh₂nétireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kanō‘to sing’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcanō‘to sing, recite, play’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcantō‘to enchant, or call forth by charms, chant’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEincantō‘sing, recite, enchant’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEincantatio‘enchantment’
  8. Old Frenchc. 842–1400incantation
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500incantacioun
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1591incantation

Earliest quotation: 1591, William Shakespeare, The First Part of Henry the Sixt: “My ancient Incantations are too weake, / And hell…”

Linked words

through Latin canō ‘to sing, recite, play’

accent, incentive, chanting, cantor, bazooka, enchantment, chantry, chanson, recant, enchanter, chanter, canticle, 41 more

through Latin cantō ‘to enchant, or call forth by charms, chant’

cant, chant, shanty, 10 more

through Latin incantō ‘sing, recite, enchant’

enchant, 2 more

Today it means

noun The act or process of using formulas and/or usually rhyming words, sung or spoken, with occult ceremonies, for the purpose of raising spirits, producing enchantment, or creating other magical results.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *keh₂n- / incantation

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