LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinethird declension

cantor

cantor m (genitive cantōris, feminine cantrīx)
Classical[ˈkan.tɔr]Ecclesiastical[ˈkan.tor]

Meaning

  1. masculinesinger (male) (verbal noun of canō (nomen agentis))
    vel audire possum ultra vocem cantorum atque cantricum?Can I still hear the voices of male and female singers?Vulgata Latina Reg. II.19.35
  2. masculineplayer (male)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativecantorcantōrēs
genitivecantōriscantōrum
dativecantōrīcantōribus
accusativecantōremcantōrēs
ablativecantōrecantōribus
vocativecantorcantōrēs

cantor, ōris, m. cano,
I. a singer, poet.
I. In gen.: omnibus hoc vitium est cantoribus, Hor. S. 1, 3, 1; so id. ib. 1, 3, 129; 1, 2, 3 (mutato nomine cantorem pro musico dicit, Acron.): Thamyras, Prop. 2 (3), 22, 19. cantor Apollo, Hor. A. P. 407 (cf. Apollo): (Caligula) Threx et auriga idem cantor atque saltator, Suet. Calig. 54.—In a contemptuous sense: cantor formularum, Cic. de Or. 1, 55, 236; cf. Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 132.— And with gen. of the person (conformably to cano, II. B.), an extoller, eulogist: cantores Euphorionis, Cic. Tusc. 3, 19, 45.—
II. Esp., in the lang. of the drama, = χορευτής, an actor, player (cf. G. Herm. Opusc. I. p. 298), Cic. Sest. 55, 118: donec cantor vos plaudite! dicat, Hor. A. P. 155; Suet. Calig. 54.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*keh₂n-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*kh₂néti
  3. Proto-Italic*kanō
  4. Latincantor

Proto-Indo-European *-tōr Proto-Italic *-tōr Latin -tor Latin cantor From canō (“to sing”) + -tor.

Descendants
  • Catalancantor
  • Englishcantor
  • Frenchchantre
  • Frenchchanteur
  • GermanKantor
  • Italiancantore
  • Portuguesecantor
  • Romaniancantor
  • Sardiniancantore
  • Sardiniancantori

In English words that came into English from cantor

  • chantercantor
  • cantorcantor
  • accentoraccentor

Quick answers

What does cantor mean in Latin?
cantor, a noun, means “singer (male) (verbal noun of canō (nomen agentis)); player (male)”.
What is the genitive of cantor?
The genitive singular is cantōris. cantor is masculine, third declension.
How do you pronounce cantor?
In classical Latin, [ˈkan.tɔr]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈkan.tor].
Where does cantor come from?
Proto-Indo-European *keh₂n- → Proto-Indo-European *kh₂néti → Proto-Italic *kanō → Latin cantor.
Which English words come from cantor?
English words that go back to Latin cantor include chanter, cantor and accentor.