An archaic or dialectal form of 'chant,' meaning to sing or recite in a rhythmic, repetitive manner.
Variant spelling of 'chant,' from Old French 'chanter,' derived from Latin 'cantare' (to sing). This older spelling reflects Middle English pronunciation patterns.
Medieval scribes were inconsistent spellers, so 'chaunt' shows us how English sounded in Chaucer's time—the 'au' sound was more prominent than in modern 'chant,' reflecting actual spoken pronunciation.
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