canter etymology

Etymology:

  • From Middle English "cantere," from Old French "chanteur," from Latin "cantor," meaning "singer."

Meaning:

  • A rapid gallop in which the horse has three beats in each stride.

Origin:

The word "canter" originally referred to the singing or chanting of hymns in church. By the 14th century, it began to be used figuratively to describe the rhythmic gait of a horse. The association between singing and the gait of a horse may have arisen from the similarity in the tempo and rhythm of the two activities.

canter relate terms

  • cant

    Etymology From Middle English canten ultimately from Old French chantere to sing

  • cant

    Etymology From Middle English canten ultimately from Old French chantere to sing

  • canting

    Etymology The word canting is derived from the Middle English word canten meaning t

  • Canterbury

    Etymology of Canterbury The name Canterbury is derived from the Old English words Cant

  • Kent

    Etymology Old English Cant Middle English Kent Old English Cant is derived from the

  • gait

    Etymology The word gait comes from the Middle English word gat which is itself deriv

  • cape

    Etymology The word cape originates from the Middle English cappe which itself is de

  • pace

    Etymology The word pace has multiple origins but the most common is from the Latin wo

  • dire

    Dire Etymology Middle English from Old French dire from the Latin dicere to say to

  • ride

    Etymology The word ride comes from the Old English word rīdan which means to go on

  • pole

    Etymology The word pole derives from the following roots Middle English pol Old

  • case

    Etymology The word case derives from the Old French word cas which in turn comes fro

  • portmanteau

    Etymology and Origin The word portmanteau is derived from French where it means sui