căno, cĕcĭni, cantum (ancient imp. cante = canite, Carm. Sal. ap. Varr. L. L. 7, § 37 Müll.; fut. perf. canerit = cecinerit, Lib. Augur. ap. Fest. s. v. rumentum, p. 270 ib.; perf. canui = cecini, acc. to Serv. ad Verg. G. 2, 384, predominant in concino, occino, etc.—Examples of sup. cantum and part. cantus, canturus, a, um, appear not to be in use; the trace of an earlier use is found in Paul. ex Fest. p. 46 Müll.: canta pro cantata ponebant; once canituri, Vulg. Apoc. 8, 13), 3, v. n. and a. [cf. κανάσσω, καναχή, κόναβος; Germ. Hahn; Engl. chanticleer; κύκνος, ciconice; Sanscr. kōkas = duck; Engl. cock], orig. v. n., to produce melodious sounds, whether of men or animals; later, with a designation of the subject-matter of the melody, as v. a., to make something the subject of one’s singing or playing, to sing of, to celebrate, or make known in song, etc.
I Neutr. , to utter melodious notes , to sing , sound , play.
A Of men: si absurde canat, Cic. Tusc. 2, 4, 12; Plin. Ep. 3, 18, 9: celebrare dapes canendo, Ov. M. 5, 113: si velim canere vel voce vel fidibus, Cic. Div. 2, 59, 122; Quint. 5, 11, 124; 1, 8, 2; Gell. 19, 9, 3: quemadmodum tibicen sine tibiis canere non possit, Cic. de Or. 2, 83, 338; cf.: tibia canentum, Lucr. 4, 587; 5, 1384; Cic. Tusc. 1, 2, 4; Quint. 1, 10, 14: curvo calamo, Cat. 63, 22: harundine, Ov. M. 1, 683; Suet. Caes. 32: cithara, Tac. A. 14, 14: lituus quo canitur, Cic. Div. 1, 17, 30; Verg. E. 2, 31: movit Amphion lapides canendo, Hor. C. 3, 11, 2; Serv. ad Verg. G. 2, 417 al.; Cic. Brut. 50, 187.—
2 Of the faulty delivery of an orator, to speak in a sing-song tone : inclinată ululantique voce more Asiatico canere, Cic. Or. 8, 27; cf. canto and canticum.—
B Of animals (usu. of birds, but also of frogs), Varr. L. L. 5, § 76 Müll.: volucres nullă dulcius arte canant, Prop. 1, 2, 14; Cic. Div. 1, 7, 12: merula canit aestate, hieme balbutit, Plin. 10, 29, 42, § 80; 10, 32, 47, § 89: ranae alio translatae canunt, id. 8, 58, 83, § 227.—Of the raven, Cic. Div. 1, 7, 12.—Esp., of the crowing of a cock: galli victi silere solent, canere victores, to crow , Cic. Div. 2, 26, 56; v. the whole section; id. ib. 2, 26, 56, § 57; Col. 8, 2, 11; Plin. 10, 21, 24, § 49 (cf. also cantus): gallina cecinit, interdixit hariolus (the crowing of a hen being considered as an auspicium malum), Ter. Phorm. 708.— In the lang. of the Pythagoreans, of the heavenly bodies (considered as living beings), the music of the spheres , Cic. N. D. 3, 11, 27.—
C Transf., of the instruments by which, or (poet.) of the places in which, the sounds are produced, to sound , resound : canentes tibiae, Cic. N. D. 2, 8, 22: maestae cecinere tubae, Prop. 4 (5), 11, 9: frondiferasque novis avibus canere undique silvas, and the leafy forest everywhere resounds with young birds , Lucr. 1, 256; Auct. Aetn. 295.
II Act. , to make something or some person the subject of one’s singing or playing.
A With carmen, cantilenam, versus, verba, etc., to sing , play , rehearse , recite : cum Simonides cecinisset, id carmen, quod in Scopam scripsisset, Cic. de Or. 2, 86, 352: carmina quae in epulis canuntur, id. Brut. 18, 71: in eum (Cossum) milites carmina incondita aequantes eum Romulo canere, Liv. 4, 20, 2: Ascraeum cano carmen, Verg. G. 2, 176; Suet. Caes. 49; Curt. 5, 1, 22: canere versus, Enn. ap. Varr. L. L. 7, § 36 Müll. (Ann. v. 222 Vahl.); Cic. Or. 51, 171; id. Brut. 18, 71: neniam, Suet. Aug. 100: idyllia ἐρωτικά, Gell. 19, 9, 4, § 10: verba ad certos modos, Ov. F. 3, 388: Phrygium, Quint. 1, 10, 33 Spald.—The homog. noun is rarely made the subject of the act. voice: cum in ejus conviviis symphonia caneret, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 44, § 105.—
2 Prov.
a Carmen intus canere, to sing for one’s self , i. e. to consult only one’s own advantage , Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 20, § 53; id. Agr. 2, 26, 68; v. Aspendius.—
b Cantilenam eandem canis, like the Gr. τὸ αὐτὸ ᾄδεις ἆσμα, ever the old tune , Ter. Phorm. 494; v. cantilena.—
B With definite objects.
a In gen., to sing , to cause to resound , to celebrate in song , to sing of , Lucr. 5, 328: laudes mortui, Varr. L. L. 7, § 70 Müll.: canere ad tibiam clarorum virorum laudes atque virtutes, Cic. Tusc. 4, 2, 3; Quint. 1, 10, 10; 1, 10, 31; Liv. 45, 38, 12: puellis carmine modulato laudes virtutum ejus canentibus, Suet. Calig. 16 fin. : dei laudes, Lact. 6, 21, 9: deorum laudes, Val. Max. 1, 8, ext. 8.—So with de : canere ad tibicinem de clarorum hominum virtutibus, Cic. Tusc. 1, 2, 3 (cf. cantito): praecepta, Hor. S. 2, 4, 11: jam canit effectos extremus vinitor antes, Verg. G. 2, 417 Wagn. N. cr. : nil dignum sermone, Hor. S. 2, 3, 4: quin etiam canet indoctum, id. Ep. 2, 2, 9: grandia elate, jucunda dulciter, moderata leniter canit, Quint. 1, 10, 24; Cat. 63, 11: Io! magna voce, Triumphe, canet, Tib. 2, 5, 118; Ov. Tr. 4, 2, 52; cf. Hor. C. 4, 2, 47: haec super arvorum cultu pecorumque canebam, Verg. G. 4, 559 Wagn.: et veterem in limo ranae cecinere querelam, croaked (according to the ancient pronunciation, kekinere kuerelam, an imitation of the Aristophanic Βρεκεκεκέξ; v. the letter C), id. ib. 1, 378; Lucr. 2, 601: anser Gallos adesse canebat, Verg. A. 8, 656: motibus astrorum nunc quae sit causa, canamus, Lucr. 5, 510: sunt tempestates et fulmina clara canenda, id. 6, 84.—
b With pers. objects (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): canitur adhuc barbaras apud gentes (Arminius), Tac. A. 2, 88: Herculem... ituri in proelia canunt, id. G. 2: Dianam, Cat. 34, 3: deos regesve, Hor. C. 4, 2, 13: Liberum et Musas Veneremque, id. ib. 1, 32, 10: rite Latonae puerum, id. ib. 4, 6, 37; 1, 10, 5: plectro graviore Gigantas, Ov. M. 10, 150: reges et proelia, Verg. E. 6, 3; Hor. C. 4, 15, 32: arma virumque, Verg. A. 1, 1: pugnasque virosque, Stat. Th. 8, 553: maxima bella et clarissimos duces, Quint. 10, 1, 62.—Very rarely, to celebrate , without reference to song or poetry: Epicurus in quădam epistulă amicitiam tuam et Metrodori grata commemoratione cecinerat, Sen. Ep. 79, 13.—Esp. of fame, to trumpet abroad : fama facta atque infecta canit, Verg. A. 4, 190: fama digna atque indigna canit, Val. Fl. 217 al.—And prov., to sing or preach to the deaf : non canimus surdis, Verg. E. 10, 8: praeceptorum, quae vereor ne vana surdis auribus cecinerim. Liv. 40, 8, 10.—
C Since the responses of oracles were given in verse, to prophesy , foretell , predict.
a In poetry: Sibylla, Abdita quae senis fata canit pedibus, Tib. 2, 5, 16; cf.: horrendas ambages, Verg. A. 6, 99; 3, 444: fera fata, Hor. C. 1, 15, 4; cf. id. Epod. 13, 11; id. S. 2, 5, 58; Tib. 1, 7, 1; cf. id. 3, 3, 36; 1, 6, 50; Hor. C. S. 25: et mihi jam multi crudele canebant Artificis scelus, Verg. A. 2, 124; Hor. S. 1, 9, 30.—
b In prose: ut haec quae nunc fiunt, canere di inmortales viderentur, Cic. Cat. 3, 8, 18: non haec a me tum tamquam fata... canebantur? id. Sest. 21, 47: eum, qui ex Thetide natus esset, majorem patre suo futurum cecinisse dicuntur oracula, Quint. 3, 7, 11; Just. 11, 7, 4; 7, 6, 1; Tac. A. 2, 54; id. H. 4, 54: cecinere vates, idque carmen pervenerat ad antistitem fani Dianae, Liv. 1, 45, 5; 5, 15, 4 sq.; 1, 7, 10; Tac. A. 14, 32; Liv. 30, 28, 2; cf. Nep. Att. 16, 4; cf. of philosophers, etc.: ipsa memor praecepta Canam, Hor. S. 2, 4, 11 Orell. ad loc.; cf.: quaeque diu latuere, canam, Ov. M. 15, 147.
III In milit. lang., t. t., both act. and neutr. , of signals, to blow , to sound , to give; or to be sounded , resound.
A Act. : bellicum (lit. and trop.) canere, v. bellicus: classicum, v. classicus: signa canere jubet, to give the signal for battle , Sall. C. 59, 1; id. J. 99, 1: Pompeius classicum apud eum (sc. Scipionem) cani jubet, Caes. B. C. 3, 82.— Absol. without signum , etc.: tubicen canere coepit, Auct. B. Afr. 82; cf. Flor. 4, 2, 66.—
B Neutr. : priusquam signa canerent, Liv. 1, 1, 7: ut attendant, semel bisne signum canat in castris, id. 27, 47, 3 and 5; 23, 16, 12; 24, 46 (twice): repente a tergo signa canere, Sall. J. 94, 5; Liv. 7, 40, 10; Verg. A. 10, 310; Flor. 3, 18, 10: classicum apud eos cecinit, Liv. 28, 27, 15.—
2 Receptui canere, to sound a retreat : Hasdrubal receptui propere cecinit (i. e. cani jussit), Liv. 27, 47, 2; Tac. H. 2, 26.—Poet.: cecinit jussos receptus, Ov. M. 1, 340.—And in Livy impers. : nisi receptui cecinisset, if it had not sounded a counter-march , Liv. 26, 44, 4: ut referrent pedem, si receptui cecinisset, id. 3, 22, 6.—
b Trop.: revocante et receptui canente senatu, Cic. Phil. 12, 3, 8: ratio abstrahit ab acerbis cogitationibus a quibus cum cecinit receptui, id. Tusc. 3, 15, 33: antequam (orator) in has aetatis (sc. senectutis) veniat insidias, receptui canet, Quint. 12, 11, 4.☞ Examples for the signif. to practice magic, to charm, etc., found in the derivv. cantus, canto, etc., are entirely wanting in this verb.