Chantbooks

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A collection of texts containing hymns or religious poems designed for recitation or singing in a ritual context
2. Books specifically compiled with chants to aid worship, often used in religious or ceremonial practices
3. Compilations of melodic phrases or lyrics intended for use in liturgical settings, facilitating group participation in worship

Etymology: "Chantbooks" is a plain compound: "chant" joined to "book," with no hyphen. "Chant" comes into English from Old French "chanter," which descends from Latin "cantare," "to sing," the same root behind "cantor" and "canticle." "Book" is an ancient Germanic word, from Old English "bōc," whose ancestors were tied to the beech tree, since early Germanic peoples carved runes on beech wood. The compound describes what it sounds like: books containing chants, the sung texts and melodies used in church services, such as plainsong or Gregorian chant. Such books were the working tools of choirs and clergy, which is why the word is most often used in discussions of medieval and monastic music.

Synonyms: hymnals, psalters, antiphonaries, songbooks, choral books