English → Latin
“sing” in Latin
canōto sing, recite, play; to sound, play, blow (a trumpet), especially a military call; to foretell, predict, prophesycantōsynonym of canō (“to sing, recite, play, foretell”); to enchant, or call forth by charms, chantcantitōto sing often or repeatedlypraeclārusvery clear or bright; famous; noble, excellent
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
sing
canere: cantare (especially according to rules of art): cantitare (to sing often). To sing a song, carmen canere, cantare: to sing well or in tune, praeclare, modulate canere: to sing badly or out of tune, absurde canere: to sing to an instrument, ad chordarum sonum cantare: (of poets) canere, cantare; also, versus scribere, canere; carmina facere: to learn to sing, cantare discere: to learn to sing of a master, *cantare or cantum doceri a aliquo: a good voice for singing, vox ad cantandum egregia: singing-bird, avis canora: to sing at sight, ab oculo canere (after Petronius, 75, 4): to sing often, cantitare: to sing again, recanere (Cic.); recinere (Hor.); recantare (Mart.): to sing well, canere suaviter et modulate: to sing in parts, or in concert, concinere; concentum facere (Cic.): to sing without accompaniment, assa voce canere (Varr.): to sing with an accompaniment, vocem sociare nervis (Ov.):
Transitively, To celebrate in song, aliquem carmine celebrare: alicujus laudes or de alicujus laudibus canere; alicujus facta canere (of praising his achievements); anybody’s name in one’s writings, nomen alicujus celebrare scriptis; memoriam alicujus scriptis prosequi (the latter if the person is dead).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for sing?
- The usual Latin words for “sing” are canō, cantō, cantitō; also praeclārus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.