cantata

Where does the word "cantata" come from? It comes from Latin cantāre, passing through Italian before entering English (1720s).

Cantata’s story begins in Latin: cantāre meant “to sing.” To sing. By 1600s, the word had taken hold in Italian as cantata. 'a sung piece', as opposed to a 'sonata', a played piece. It reached English by 1720s as cantata. J. S. Bach wrote over 200 church cantatas in Leipzig in the same period. Today, cantata means a medium-length vocal work with instruments.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient cantāre "to sing", to sing.
2. Stage 2 · Italian · 1600s cantata "sung piece", 'a sung piece', as opposed to a 'sonata', a played piece.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1720s cantata "vocal work", J. S. Bach wrote over 200 church cantatas in Leipzig in the same period.