From Latin 'incantare' (to chant a spell upon) — magic operated through singing. Same root as 'incantation' and 'chant.'
To fill with great delight or charm; to cast a spell on or bewitch.
From Old French enchanter (to sing a magic formula over, to bewitch through song), from Latin incantāre (to chant a spell upon, to enchant), from in- (upon, into) + cantāre (to sing, to chant, a frequentative of canere, to sing). The Latin canere traces to PIE *kan- (to sing, to sound). The same root family gives English
The word 'incantation' — a spoken magical formula — comes from the same Latin root 'incantāre.' Across cultures, magic was believed to operate through the human voice: spells were sung or chanted, not silently thought. The etymology of 'enchant' preserves this ancient belief that the voice