carmen

Meaning

1. (declension-3, neuter, poetic, usually) song, tune
2. (declension-3, neuter) a composition in verse, a poem; poetry, verse, song
3. (declension-3, neuter) poem, poetry (strictly any poem or poetry that can be sung), verse (esp. lyric or epic verse)
4. (declension-3, neuter) incantation, charm, spell
5. (declension-3, neuter) play, playing (of music)
6. (declension-3, neuter) prayer (refers to prayers being composed in verse)
7. (declension-3, neuter) formula (refers to the formula of verse found in ancient prayers or magical spells)
8. (declension-3, neuter) oracle (infrequent but used to refer to the poetic form in which prophecies were spoken)
9. (declension-3, neuter) ritual (involving verse)

Concepts

song

🎶

poem

prayer

magic

🪄

singing

incantation

ritual

verse

ballad

terrace chant

birdsong

chanson

charm

poetry

prediction

Synonyms

poema

magia

🪄

magice

cantus

veneficium

canor

🎶

artes magae

fabula

cantio

🎶

incantamentum

artes magicae

Translations

canción

🎶

chanson

🎶

Lied

🎶

canzone

🎶

canção

🎶

poème

lied

🎶

τραγούδι

Gedicht

cançó

🎶

προσευχή

poema

gebed

poema

chant

🎶

Pronounced as (IPA)

[ˈkar.mɛn]

Etymology

According to Varro its earlier form was *casmen. From Proto-Indo-European *ḱens- (“to speak in a florid, solemn style, attest, witness”). Cognate to Sanskrit शस्मन् (śásman, “hymn, laud, invocation, eulogy, recited verse”). Further cognate to Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌶𐌾𐌰𐌽 (hazjan, “to praise”), Old English herian (“to praise, extol, commend”). See Camēna, Casmēna. Compare Latin Casmenae.
Sometimes referred to Proto-Italic *kanmen, from Proto-Indo-European *keh₂nmn̥, from *keh₂n- (“to sing”) (whence canō (“I sing, chant”)), as with germen for *genmen.