Canticula

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small song or hymn, often of a liturgical nature
2. A brief, melodic composition intended for religious or spiritual use
3. A little tune that may be used in ceremonies or celebrations

Etymology: Latin "canticula" is the diminutive of "canticum", "song", which itself comes from "canere", "to sing". The "-cula" ending is a common Latin diminutive suffix, so the word literally means "little song." It was used in Latin for short sacred or liturgical pieces, and English borrowed it in its Latin form, which is why it still looks so plainly Latin on the page. Its English use is almost entirely learned and scholarly. Writers reached for it when they wanted a classical-sounding term for a brief devotional song, rather than the everyday word "song," and it has stayed mostly within religious, musicological, and literary contexts.