cherl

== Middle English == === Alternative forms === cheerl, cherel, cheril, cherld, cherle, cherol, chirl; cherril (Early Middle English) charle (East Anglia); chorll (Ireland); cheorl, chorl, chorle, churl, churle (especially Northern or West Midland); churll (Early Scots) churlle (Catholicon Anglicum); cherelle (Promptorium Parvulorum) === Etymology === Inherited from Old English ċeorl, from Proto-West Germanic *karil, from Proto-Germanic *karilaz; thus a doublet of carl. The variant /t͡ʃoːrl/ (and subsequent /t͡ʃurl/ with shortening) reflects a shift of stress to the second element of Old English /e͜oː/ (from earlier /e͜o/ with lengthening after /rl/; the unlengthened form yields /t͡ʃɔrl/) after /t͡ʃ/; compare chesen. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /t͡ʃeːrl/, /t͡ʃɛːrl/, /t͡ʃɛrl/ IPA(key): /t͡ʃøːrl/, /t͡ʃœrl/ (especially Southern or Southwest Midland) IPA(key): /t͡ʃoːrl/, /t͡ʃɔrl/, /t͡ʃurl/ (especially Northern or Northwest Midland) === Noun === cherl (plural cherles) Someone not belonging to the nobility or clergy: A serf or peasant; a feudal tenant farmer. A servant or bondsman; one who serves a noble. A freeman (as opposed to a slave) A boor or simpleton; an ignorant or unrefined person. A male person; a chap, fellow or guy. (Early Middle English, rare) A husband; a male partner in marriage. ==== Derived terms ==== *cheorlton English: Chorlton ==== Descendants ==== English: churl Middle Scots: churl, churle Scots: churl Yola: chourle → Cornish: chorl ==== References ====