Middle English Dictionary Entry
cherlish adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | cherlish adj. Also cirl-, cheorl-, chorl-, churl-, charl-. |
| Etymology | OE ci(e)rlisc, cerl-, ceorl-. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Belonging or pertaining to the caste of serfs or peasants; servile, rustic; (b) characteristic of a serf or peasant; rude, churlish, uncouth; mean, villainous; (c) unlearned, simple-minded.
Associated quotations
a
- c1120(OE) Leges Hen.I in Liebermann Gesetze 1593 : Eodem modo per omnia de cyrlisci uel uillani wera fieri [debet] secundum modum suum.
- c1120(OE) Leges Hen.I in Liebermann Gesetze 1599 : Si desponsata femina..cyrlisca..sit.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 370)1 Par.27.26 : To the churlische werk..and to the erth tilieris.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)4.2659 : Whan that a wrech, cherlissh of nature, Thestat of princis vnwarli doth recure.
b
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Fkl.(Manly-Rickert)F.1523 : So heigh a cherlyssh wrecchednesse Agayns franchise and alle gentillesse.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)177 : Ful foul and cherlyssh semed she, And eek vylayneus..And litel coude of norture.
- c1430 Chaucer CT.Mil.(Cmb Gg.4.27)A.3169 : This mellere..tolde hese cherlych tale in hese manere.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)77 : Chorlysche or carlysche: Rusticanus.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)4181 : To encowntere þe kynge he castes hym sone Bot the churles chekyn hade chaungyde his armes.
- (a1460) DSPhilos.(Helm)129/1 : Thes men that bene of churlysshe condicions vndirstonden that suche persones as thei haue done any good to shulde alleweyes be bonde vnto hem.
- a1500(?a1400) Morte Arth.(2) (Hrl 2252)1078 : Deth hathe me take with bale..so churlysshe of maners, in feld ne hale, Ne know I none of frende ne fo.
- a1500 Discip.Cler.(Wor F.172)54 : Take it nat bifore thi felaw, lest he say the to be shrewissh and cherolissh.
c
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) Pref.Jer.(Corp-O 4)73 : Wordis, the whiche..ben so spokun that the liȝtloker thei myȝten enfourme a churlishe cumpany [WB(2): the lewid puple].