Note 569 — Chapter X · MYTHOLOGY (continued).

‘Spectator,’ No. 147; Brand, ‘Pop. Ant.’ vol. iii. p. 93; Hotten, ‘Slang Dictionary,’ p. 3; Charnock, s.v. ‘cant.’ As to the real etymology, that from the beggar’s whining chaunt is defective, for the beggar drops this tone exactly when he cants, i.e., talks jargon with his fellows. If cant is directly from Latin cantare, it will correspond with Italian cantare and French chanter, both used as slang words for to speak (Francisque-Michel, ‘Argot’). A Keltic origin is more probable, Gaelic and Irish cainnt, caint == talk, language, dialect (see Wedgwood ‘Etymological Dictionary’). The Gaelic equivalents for pedlars’ French or tramps’ slang, are ‘Laidionn nan ceard,’ ‘cainnt cheard,’ i.e., tinkers’ Latin or jargon, or exactly ‘cairds’ cant.’ A deeper connexion between cainnt and cantare does not affect this.