by Array (WeloveyouJesseLacey)
8/12/2008, 7:20 AM
I would assume it came from the French "chanter," meaning "to sing," but with an R in there because of the rhotic/non-rhotic language thing.
Chanter or Chanté wouldn't be my thing at all, but it doesn't strike me as too awful. Charnte quite honestly looks hideous to me, but it'd be pronounced CHARRRN-tay if it was from around here, and that sounds awfuller than awful to me. ;) So it's kind of an unconscious "NO PLEASE NO" reaction from me.
I think that if you phrased the question politely ("Your daughter's name is so interesting/pretty! How did you come up with it?"), you could ask her without worrying about knowing her well enough.
Array