chanty

Everyday

1. A song that sailors sang long ago while they worked together, pulling ropes or turning the capstan; also spelled «shanty» and «chantey». tree →
2. Not the same word as «shanty» meaning a rough hut. tree →

In the lessons

Found in sea stories and music lessons. Sea chanties have a strong beat so that the sailors could pull at the same moment; one person sings a line and the crew answers. In The Wind in the Willows the Sea Rat talks of sailors' songs and ports.

Examples

• The sailors sang a chanty as they pulled up the anchor. tree →
• In music we learned an old sea chanty. tree →
• One sailor sang the line and the others answered in the chanty. tree →
• The chanty helped them pull the rope together. tree →
• «What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor?» is a famous chanty. tree →
• The old seaman hummed a chanty while he mended the nets. tree →
• Our class sang chanties at the school concert. tree →

Note

Spellings: chanty, chantey, shanty — the same sea song; «shanty» is commonest today. Plural: chanties. Say «SHAN-tee» (the «ch» sounds like «sh»). Do not mix up with «shanty» = a poor hut (shanty town).