canti

Canti is an Italian noun meaning songs or chants; it is the plural of canto. In Italian, canti is used to refer to musical or lyrical pieces and to collections or sequences of songs. The term originates from Latin cantus and shares a semantic root with the English words chant and cantata.

In musical and literary contexts, canti appears in phrases describing traditional song repertoires, liturgical song, or poetry cycles. For example, canti popolari refers to folk songs, while canti sacri denotes sacred songs. In some contexts, canti may be used as a title for collections of poems or songs, or as a name for works and projects that evoke song or lyric form.

As a proper noun, Canti can function as a surname or place name, though this is less common and highly context-dependent. Consequently, “Canti” is not a single, universally recognized subject in its own right; rather it is a common Italian term that also serves as a potential proper noun in varied contexts.

Related terms include canto, cantata, canticle, and chant.