Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Cano

Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary, and Greek Lexicon (Rich, 1849)

CANO. To sing generally; but also to sound, or play upon, any musical instrument (Cic. Div. ii. 59.); as lituo canere (Cic. Div. i. 17.), to sound the lituus (see wood-cut s. LITICEN); cornu canere (Varro, L. L. v. 91.), to sound the horn (see CORNICEN); tibiis canere (Quint. i. 10. 14.), to play upon the pipes (TIBICEN); cithara canere (Tac. Ann. xiv. 14.), to play the guitar (CITHARISTA).

2. Intus et foris canere; an expression descriptive of the peculiar mode of playing upon the lyre, which is represented in the annexed engraving (Cano/2.1), from the Aldobrandini fresco in the Vatican. To strike the chords merely with the plectrum held in the right hand, was foris canere; to thrum the chords merely with the fingers of the left hand was intus canere; but when the two were used together, and both sides of the instrument struck at once, as in the engraving, the musician was said to play on the inside and out, intus et foris canere. Ascon. ad Cic. Verr. ii. 1. 20.

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  Cano/2.1