English

Noun

cantilena ‎(plural cantilenas)

1. (music) a vocal melody or instrumental passage in a smooth, lyrical style
   • 1964, Anthony Burgess, The Eve of St Venus

     He played a lazy tune that sinuated from C sharp down to G natural and back again. Astonishing that he could flute so lazy a cantilena while chasing nymphs.

Anagrams

• lancinate

Italian

Etymology

From Latin cantilēna.

Noun

cantilena f ‎(plural cantilene)

1. lullaby
2. singsong
3. whining

Verb

cantilena

1. third-person singular present indicative of cantilenare
2. second-person singular imperative of cantilenare

Anagrams

• lanciante

Latin

Etymology

From cantillō.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /kan.tiˈleː.na/, [kan.tɪˈɫeː.na]

Noun

cantilēna f ‎(genitive cantilēnae); first declension

1. old song
2. oft-repeated saying
3. gossip

Inflection

First declension.

Descendants

• Italian: cantilena
• Portuguese: cantilena

References

• cantilena in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• cantilena in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• CANTILENA in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• Félix Gaffiot (1934), “cantilena”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.