Word of the Day

enchanter

Enchanter

Old French (from Latin incantare)

English pronunciation/ɪnˈtʃænt/Old French/ɑ̃ʃɑ̃ˈte/
To enchant someone is to sing a spell onto them — the Latin root is incantare, 'to chant upon' — and the word for falling under a spell is the word for being sung to.

Enchanter is Old French for 'to sing a spell upon,' from Latin incantare (in- 'upon' + cantare 'to sing'). The English word 'enchant' entered the language in the fourteenth century. Its original meaning was literal: to use a chant or song to cast a spell on someone. The enchanter was a singer. The enchantment was the song. The victim was under its rhythm.

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