cokewold - Middle English Compendium

Middle English Dictionary Entry

cokewold n.

Forms	cokewold n. Also cokewald, cukewald, cukeweld & cokwold, -wald, cukwald, -wold, cokold.
Etymology	Cp. late OF cucuault, a derivative of OF cocu cuckoo. The female of this bird is said to be unfaithful to its mate.

(a) The husband of an unfaithful wife, a cuckold; ~ wif, an adulterous wife; (b) weren a ~ hod, dancen in the ~ roue, be a cuckold.

c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)1544 : Þa heo hine makie kukeweld [vr. cukeweld].
c1330 SMChron.(Auch)1110 : He hadde a mantel wiþ him brouȝt, To no cokkewold wiif nas it nouȝt.
c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)274 : F. putee fait homme cous: Hore makith man cokewolde.
c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)4.140 : Hose wilneþ hire to wyue for weolþe of hire godes, Bote he beo A Cokewold I-kore, cut of boþe myn Eres.
(c1390) Chaucer CT.Mil.(Manly-Rickert)A.3152 : Who hath no wyf, he is no cokewold.
(c1390) Chaucer CT.Mil.(Manly-Rickert)A.3226 : She was wilde and yong, and he was old And demed hymself been lyk a cokewold.
(c1390) Chaucer CT.Pard.(Manly-Rickert)C.382 : Any womman..That hath ymaked hir housbond cokewold.
(1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)86 : Cokolde: Ninerus.
a1450 Thenke hertely (Dgb 102)27 : Thy wedlok wiþ loue holde..make nouȝt hym cokewolde, To loue in fornycacion.
c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)529/3 : To make hur husband cukwolde.
?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)130/192 : Telle now how þou þus hire [Mary] dudyst wynne, Ore knowlych þi self ffor a cockewold.
?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)31b : A cwcwalde: curuca, ninirus, zelotipus.
a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Add 9066)421 : Thy false monke hathe a-way my wife and made me a Cokewolde.

c1460 Ipom.(3) (Lngl 257)351/30 : Par aventure the king might haue wered a cukwold hoode.
c1500 Corneus (Ashm 61)197 : Cokwoldes no more i wyll repreue, For i ame one..Lordynges, all now may ȝe know, That i may dance in þe cokwold row.

(a) As a term of abuse; (b) as a surname.

c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1312 : That ilke cursynge..Cleffe on þe, cukewalde!