Canting
/ˈkæn.tɪŋ/noun
Using insincere, affected, or overly pious language, often associated with specialized jargon or moralizing speech.
Did you know?English “cant” traveled from the idea of chanting or singing into meanings involving monotonous preaching, hypocritical language, and the secret vocabulary of beggars and thieves.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kan-
“To sing or utter a sound; the reconstructed root behind later Latin words for singing.”
Classical Latin
Latin
canere
“To sing, recite, or chant.”
Classical Latin
Latin
cantare
“To sing repeatedly or chant; the frequentative form associated with later English cant.”
Old French
Old French
cant
“Song, singing, or chant.”
14th–16th Century
English
cant
“A chant or monotonous form of speech; later, affected or hypocritical talk and specialized jargon.”
16th–17th Century
English
canting
“Speaking in cant—especially using insincere moralizing language or the secret jargon associated with socially marginal groups.”
Modern English
English
canting
“Affectedly pious, insincere, or jargon-filled in speech or writing.”