A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. In formal Jewish worship, a Cantor is a person who sings solo verses or passages to which the choir or congregation responds. The term itself was shaped by the Latin term for "singer," but is not an inherently Latin word. It is frequently used to translate a range of equivalent terms in other languages, such as for the leader of singing on a traditional Kerala snake boat, a Chundan Vallam. A similar term is precentor, defined as a leader of the singing of a choir or congregation.