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cantici

Cantici is the Italian plural form of cantico, meaning songs or hymns. In everyday Italian, cantici can refer to any collection of songs, but it is also used in religious and biblical contexts to denote canticles—sacred songs found within scripture or used in liturgy.

In biblical terms, cantici are short hymns or thanksgiving prayers. The Italian Bible and liturgical traditions

Etymology and usage extend beyond strictly biblical text. The term cantico historically derives from Latin canticare,

See also: Canticle, Song of Songs, Magnificat, Benedictus, Nunc Dimittis, Liturgy of the Hours.

typically
group
certain
canticles
as
a
set
that
may
be
read
or
sung
in
worship.
Prominent
examples
of
canticles
often
cited
in
Italian
religious
practice
include
the
Magnificat
(the
Song
of
Mary),
the
Benedictus
(the
Song
of
Zechariah),
and
the
Nunc
Dimittis
(the
Song
of
Simeon).
The
Song
of
Songs,
a
separate
biblical
book,
is
commonly
referred
to
in
Italian
as
Cantico
dei
Cantici,
or
simply
Cantico,
with
cantici
sometimes
used
in
broader
discussions
of
multiple
biblical
canticles.
meaning
to
sing,
and
in
modern
Italian
it
appears
in
literary,
musical,
and
catechetical
contexts
to
describe
collections
or
sequences
of
songs.
In
religious
publishing
and
worship
resources,
cantici
may
indicate
the
canticles
appointed
for
particular
liturgical
hours,
feast
days,
or
other
ceremonial
occasions.