Middle English Dictionary Entry
chalice n.
Entry Info
| Forms | chalice n. Also chalis, schalis, chale(i)s, challes & calice, calis. Pl. chalices, chaleis, (early) calicen, calis. |
| Etymology | OF chalice, calice & L calic-em. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. calch.
1.
(a) A drinking vessel, such as a bowl, beaker, or goblet; wine ~; (b) ~ cuppe, ~ pece, ~ shape.
Associated quotations
a
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)20/539 : He toke þe coppe wiþ þe wyne..'Takeþ and drynkeþ euerech on Of þis chalice here!'
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Is.22.24 : Off vesseles dyuers kindis..fro the vesseles of wyn chalices [L a vasis craterarum] vnto alle vessel of musikes.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)15237 : Þe chalice [Frf: chalis] vp he laght, And blisced als þe win.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)11a/b : Caliculus: a lytel schalis.
- (1450) Lin.DDoc.39/8 : The lasse chaleys of ij that I haue at london.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)198/12 : Þe devull..servid..a drynk mengid with burnston on a burnyng chales.
- (1475) RParl.6.140a : iiii Coppes of sylver..a Chaleys of sylver.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)22b : A Chales: Calix, Caliculus.
- a1500(c1465) SEChron.(Lamb 306)31 : The kynge..was rawnsoned, and for to pay his rawnson euche other chalis throwe this londe was coyned in monye.
- ?a1500 Lndsb.Nominale (Lndsb)753/30 : Calix: a schalys.
b
- (c1392) Will York in Sur.Soc.4179 : Unum ciphum, qui vocatur chaliscopp.
- (1420) EEWills46/22 : A stondyng cuppe of seluer y-clepyd a chales cuppe..þat weyyth xvij ounsus.
- (1438) Will York in Sur.Soc.3067 : Unam peciam coopertorio argenti vocatam Chalispece.
- (1442) Invent.Gild in PSAL ser.2.5122 : A Chalyscuppe overgylt that weyeth xxij vnce.
- (1452) Will York in Sur.Soc.45130 : De lj s. de pret. j peciae argenti vocatae chalespece.
- (1452-3) Invent.Norwich in Nrf.Archaeol.12216 : Item j pecia magna chalyschap deaurata, ponderis xxviij unciarum.
2.
Eccl. (a) The cup or goblet for administering the sacramental wine; also, its content; ~ of the weved, altar cup; ~ case, a receptacle for the cup; (b) ~ of blessinge, ~ of God, ~ of helthe, cup of salvation, etc.
Associated quotations
a
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1102 : Þeofas..breokan þa mynstre of Burh and þær inne naman..calicen and candel sticcan.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)91 : Þenne prest cristes þroweinge minegeð and of þe calice understondeð tocne of sehtnesse.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)113a : Ne þe chirch uestemenz ne þe calices [Nero: caliz].
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (LdMisc 108)318 : Him þouȝte þat hit was al, weued and chaliz [vrr. caliz, calis] and Cruettes, þoruȝ-out cler cristal.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)187 : Þe messebok, Þe caliz.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)10031 : Broches & ringes..& þe calis of þe weued.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)20/540 : Þys hys my chalis of my blode, Of testament nywe, Þat schal be schad for manye men.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)41/1 : Huanne me brecþ oþer stelþ..þe halȝede þinges, Þe crouchen, þe calices.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)167/21 : Þe chalis, er ha by yblissed and yzet ope þane weued.
- (1377-8) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.100387 : Item in uno chaliskays et uno godeshous pro rotulis officii.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.879 : This is a fouler thefte than for to breke a chirche and stele the chalice.
- (1395) EEWills5/21 : A chales and a paxbred and an haliwater pot.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.361 : Goddis blood þat is sacrid in þe chalis.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)47/19 : Whan he held up þe chalys wyth þe precyows Sacrament, þe chalys mevyd to & fro.
- 1448 *Glo.Chron.C (Arms 58:Kooper)f.197v : Jentiles answered with trowble chere, 'haue ye nat shrynes of golde and seluer full of dede mennes bones?' And they, vnderstandyng weder her answere wryed, made hure seyntes shrynes bare and spoiled hure crucifixes and blewe hure chaleys.
- a1450(a1425) Mirk IPP (Cld A.2:Peacock)251 : Teche hem þenne..Þat in þe chalys ys but wyn & water.
- c1450(?c1425) St.Mary Oign.(Dc 114)146/37 : Þere was so grete colde..þat..in the holy chalys, while þe preste songe, wyne fros..in to yce.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)65 : Alisaundre Pope..ordeyned hali water, and that wyn schuld be put in the chalis and water therto.
- (1472) Acc.St.Edm.Sarum4 : Item j Chayles..and in his fote a crucifixe.
- a1475 And by a chapell (Brog 2.1)10 : A challes alle off ryche rede gollde.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)264/953 : Þis chalys ys þi blood, þis bred is þi body.
- a1486(a1460) Coron.Kings Eng.in Archaeol.57 (Mrg M 775)50 : The kynge..schall resceyve the holy sacrament, bothe flesshe and blood..the abbot shall mynister to him the wyne of a stone chalyse of the regalies.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)250/14 : Thys kyng..ȝode ynto þe tempull, and toke all þe tresowre..chalays, and vestementys.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)181/19 : Þei callid þis pot a chales, þe whiche þe emperoure had..ȝeuen to the chirche of Seynt Laurence.
- a1500 Lond.BPrayer (Hrl 335)224* : Ye shulle pray for tham whiche gythe or be qwethe un to this chirche any ornamente, as buc, bell, chalesh, vestymente.
b
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)1 Cor.10.16 : Þe chalys of blessyng [L calix benedictionis]..whether it be not þe communicacyoun of cristis body.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)1 Cor.10.21 : Ȝee may not drynke þe chalys of god, and þe chalys of deuelys.
- ?c1430(?1382) Wycl.Pet.Parl.(Corp-C 296)521 : We clepen þis sacrament holy breed of everlastynge lif and chalis of everlastynge helpe [read: helþe; L calicum salutis perpetuae].
3.
Fig. That which falls to one's lot to endure or enjoy, ~ of helthe, ~ wratthe, etc.; drinken the ~, to submit to or suffer one's fate.
Associated quotations
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)115.4 : Y shal take þe chalice of helþe [L calicem salutaris] & clepe þe name of our Lord.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Ps.22.5 : Thou hast myche fattid in oile myn hed; and my chalis makende ful drunken, hou riȝt cler it is.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Is.51.17 : Ris thou, Jerusalem, that thou drunke of the hond of the Lord the chalis of his wrathe; vn to the ground of the chalis of slep thou drunke.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)15633 : Quer i sal þis calice [Göt: chalis; Frf: dede; Trin-C: deþ] drinc, or i sal pass þar-bi?
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.378 : Crist axide..'Mai ȝe two drynke..þe chalis þat I shal drynke?' And wiþouten drede Crist undirstood bi þis chalis his passioun.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)63/27 : Fader, ȝif it may be do, lete this chalys go fro me.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)10.7 : He sall rayn on synful snares, fire, brunstan, and gast of stormes, part of the chalis of thaim.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)15.8 : Lord is part of myn heritage and of my chalice..that is, he is cope of all my delite and ioy.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)22.7 : My chalice, that is the wyne of thi luf hetand and strenghtand me.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)115.4 : The chalice of hele i sall take..the chalice that is pyne and passion..for it is a plesand drynke til halymen.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- 1618(1440) Invent.Cumberworth in Peacock EChurch Furniture182 : My trushing challis and my highest guilt chalis.
Note: New form: Also..challis.
Note: Quot. belongs to sense 2.(a).
Note: Gloss: "trussinge ~, ?a chalice for traveling."
Note: In trussinge ger., sense 1.(b), the combination trussinge chalice in this quot. is glossed, "?a chalice for traveling". Under the gerund, in (1393) Will York in Sur.Soc.4, containing the combination trussinge cuppe or "ciphum duplum" ("double cup") indicates that the cup may not have necessarily been meant (just) for travelling: according to W.C. Cripps in Old English Plate (1881), the combination describes "the large double cups made to shut upon the rims of each other..These too are mentioned occasionally in English inventories, and are called 'double' or 'trussing' cups." He cites the reference in this quot. as an example. (An illustration of such a cup is found on p. 167.) The chalice may refer to a similar vessel.
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section may be incomplete and / or may need revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED.--all notes per MLL