different between chanting vs incantation

English

Etymology

From Middle English chauntynge; equivalent to chant +? -ing.

Verb

chanting

1. present participle of chant

Noun

chanting (usually uncountable, plural chantings)

1. Singing, especially as a chant is sung.

   I remember much chanting in church during my childhood.

   The Synod of Aberdeen forbade 'chantings and choruses' at funerals.

English

Alternative forms

• encantation

Etymology

From Old French incantation, from Latin incantatio. More at enchant.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /inkæn?te???n/
• Rhymes: -e???n

Noun

incantation (plural incantations)

1. The act or process of using formulas and/or usually rhyming words, sung or spoken, with occult ceremonies, for the purpose of raising spirits, producing enchantment, or creating other magical results.
2. A formula of words used as above.
3. (computing, slang) Any esoteric command or procedure.
   • 1998, John Purcell, Robert Kiesling, Linux: The Complete Reference: Book 1 (page 412)

     The appropriate incantation of route is shown below; the gw keyword tells it that the next argument denotes a gateway.

   • 2017, James Pogran, Learning PowerShell DSC (page 11)

     Servers move from being special snowflakes to being disposable numbers on a list that can be created and destroyed without requiring someone to remember the specific incantation to make it work.

Related terms

• incanter

Translations

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin incant?ti?. Synchronically analysable as incanter +? -ation.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??.k??.ta.sj??/

Noun

incantation f (plural incantations)

1. incantation

Related terms

• enchanter

Further reading

• “incantation” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).