descant

Where does the word "descant" come from? It comes from Latin canere, passing through Medieval Latin and Old French before entering English (1300s).

Descant’s story begins in Latin: canere meant “to sing.” To sing, giving rise to cantus (song), combined with dis- (apart). By medieval, the word had taken hold in Medieval Latin as discantus. A singing apart, a melody sung against a main tune, from dis- and cantus. From there it passed into Old French as deschant by medieval. Carried into French for a musical counterpoint melody. It reached English by 1300s as descant. Settled as the English word for a melodic line sung above the main tune. Today, descant means a melodic line sung or played above the main melody, or to talk at length on a subject.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient canere "to sing", to sing, giving rise to cantus (song), combined with dis- (apart).
2. Stage 2 · Medieval Latin · medieval discantus "a melody sung against a main tune", a singing apart, a melody sung against a main tune, from dis- and cantus.
3. Stage 3 · Old French · medieval deschant "a musical counterpoint melody", carried into French for a musical counterpoint melody.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1300s descant "a melodic line sung or played above the main tune", settled as the English word for a melodic line sung above the main tune.