Middle English Dictionary Entry
chalk n.
Entry Info
| Forms | chalk n. Also schalk & calk. |
| Etymology | OE cealc, *calk (from L calc-em). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Soft limestone, chalk, or a piece of it; ~ ston; also, lime; line and ~, string and chalk (as used by carpenters); ~ line; (b) ~ hil; ~ lond; ~ pit, a chalk or lime quarry; (c) in names [see Smith PNElem. 1.77].
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)551/2 : Calcx: chalcston.
- ?a1350 Recipe Painting(1) in Archaeol.J.1 (Hrl 2253)64 : Tac a ston of chalk ant mak an hole ithe chalk.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.17 : Þe erþe of that lond [England] is copious..of chalk [L calcis] and of whyte lyme.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.CY.(Manly-Rickert)G.1207 : Bryngeth a chalk stoon, For I wol make it of the same shap That is an ingot.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.CY.(Manly-Rickert)G.1222 : He took the chalk and Shoop it in the wise Of an ingot.
- (1423) Doc.Brewer in Bk.Lond.E.168/859 : Paied for j lode of Chalk, with þe Cariage of þe same ij s.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Deut.27.2 : Thou schalt reyse grete stoonus, and thou schalt make tho pleyn with chalk [WB(1): plastre; L calce].
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)18b/a : Creta: an chalke or Marl.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)58 : Calke or chalke, erye: Calx, creta.
- (1447-8) *Mun.B.Bridgewater17 : To John Peynto' for gryndyng of Chalke.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)25.242 : As whit it lay Lik as doth Chalk In þe Clay.
- c1450 Treat.Fish.(Yale 171)15 : A chalke lyne, made browne with your colour.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)91/27 : Take sope and schalk and tempre hem to-gedir with eysell.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)604 : A chauchie..made of chalke and sande.
- c1500 The shype ax (Ashm 61)79 : Ȝe, ȝe, seyd the lyne and the chalke..I schall merke well upone the wode And kepe his mesures trew and gode.
b
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)327 : Marlpytte or chalke pytte: Cretarium.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.776 : Yet is the chalk or cley lond forto eschewe.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1226 : He chesez hym the waye Thurghe a faire champayne, vndyr schalke hyllis.
c
- (1290-1) Leet R.Norwich in Seld.Soc.537 : Quandam ildam..apud Calkmilles.
- (1296) Sub.R.Sus.in Sus.RS 1058 : Willelmus atte Chalke.
- (1375) Award Blount in ORS 7205 : In a filde Callid Chalkespittfilde.
- (1422) Rec.Norwich 1277 : Le Calkemyll.
2.
In combs. and conventional comparisons: ~ whit (as), whit as ~, chalk-white, pure white, white as chalk; also simply chalk.
Associated quotations
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)798 : Chalk-whyt chymnees þer ches he in-noȝe..þat blenked ful quyte.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1026 : A chargour of chalke-whytt syluer.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)2116 : Cheualers one chalke-whytte stedez.
- c1450(a1449) Lydg.SSecr.(Sln 2464)337 : I haue no Colour, but Oonly Chalk and sable, To peynte or portreye.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)3047 : Hir chekes..as the chalke white.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)468 : Hire chere at was chalke-quyte as any chaffe worthis.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1562 : Childire all in shalk quyte.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1584 : Bathe chambirlayn & chaplayne in chalk-quite wedis.
- a1475 *Hrl.Diseases Hawk A (Hrl 2340)30a : Þe hawke..yf sche multes also whyte as chalke with A lytyll blake in þe myddes, than is sche wele in þe bowell & also in þe hede.
- a1500 Degrev.(Cmb Ff.1.6)1506 : Fayr schetus of sylk, Chalk-whyȝth as the mylk.
- c1500(?a1437) ?Jas.I KQ (SeldArch B.24)st.157 : The chalk-quhite ermyn, tippit as the Iete.
3.
In proverbial expression: chaungen (feinen) ~ for chese, to turn chalk into cheese, present something worthless as something good.
Associated quotations
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)prol.416 : Lo, how thei feignen chalk for chese; For though thei speke and teche wel, Thei don hemself therof no del.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.2346 : Fulofte chalk for chese He changeth with ful litel cost, Wherof an other hath the lost And he the profit schal receive.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (1228) in Gras Eng.Cust.Syst.157 : Et focale, stramen, fenum, fimum, lapides, carbones, cadie, chak, id est, coopertura domorum, turves, et omnia talia consimilia non debent dare teoloneum.
Note: New form: Also..(early) chak.
Note: Quot. belongs to sense 1.(a).
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)3648 : Þare was chosen in þe chefe a chalke-whitte mayden, And a childe in hir arme, þat chefe es of hevyne…thies ware þe cheefe armes Of Arthure the auenaunt, qwhylls he in erthe lengede.
Note: New combination and gloss for sense 2.: "~ whit maiden, a heraldic representation of the Virgin Mary in silver or pale argent."
- a1500 Dc.45 Artist.Recipes (Dc 45) 150/2 : To make a grene colour, take þe rynde of walnotes ypownyd smal..and grynde chelk with þe jus and dry hyt.
Note: New form: Also..chelk.
Note: Quot. belongs to sense 1.(a).
- a1500 Rwl.C.506 Artist.Recipes (Rwl C.506) 172/16 : Take a þike skyn of parchyment wel pomyshide or rasud, and wasche it wel in warme water till þe schalke be owȝt.
Note: Additional quot. for sense 1.(a).
- a1525 BodEMus.52 Artist.Recipes (BodEMus 52) 195/15 : Take browne and grynde it with gum water and put þerto horcumente and a lytell calke.
Note: Quot. postdates sense 1.(a).
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section is incomplete and needs revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED. Provisional revised form section (including Supplement forms): Also chalke, shalk(e, chelk, calk(e & (early) chak, (in cpd.) chalc-.--all notes per MLL