canto

Where does the word "canto" come from? It comes from Latin canere, passing through Italian before entering English (1580s).

Canto’s story begins in Latin: canere meant “to sing; a song.” The verb of singing, giving the noun cantus. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Italian as canto. Used by Dante for a principal division of a long poem. It reached English by 1580s as canto. Borrowed via Spenser for a section of an epic poem. Today, canto means a principal division of a long poem.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient canere "to sing; a song", the verb of singing, giving the noun cantus.
2. Stage 2 · Italian · medieval canto "a song; a division of a long poem", used by Dante for a principal division of a long poem.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1580s canto "a principal division of a long poem", borrowed via Spenser for a section of an epic poem.