Cantillates

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Utters or sings something in a ritualistic or chanting manner, often following a set melodic pattern
2. Delivers spoken words with a melodic intonation, typically as part of religious or ceremonial practice
3. Recites or sings text in a rhythmic, musical way commonly used in sacred or formal observances

Etymology: "Cantillates" is the third-person singular form of "cantillate," meaning to chant a sacred text in a singing or recitative manner. The verb was first recorded in English in 1864 and comes from Latin "cantillare," meaning to sing softly or hum, a word built from "cantare" (to sing), the source of "chant" and "cantor." The Latin verb is a diminutive of "cantare," so its basic sense is a small or quiet singing. That diminutive quality survives in the English word, which describes a half-sung, rhythmic style of recitation rather than full melodic song. The verb carries the "-ate" ending common to English verbs formed from Latin, so the word's structure is a Latin root plus a suffix that turns it into an action.

Synonyms: chants, recites, sings, intonates, melodizes

Antonyms: mumbles, whispers, silences, stifles, quiets