English
churlish
Churlish comes from Middle English cherlisch ‘Churlish, surly’, from Proto-Germanic *karilaz ‘free man’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵerh₂- ‘to grow old, to mature’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵerh₂-‘to grow old, to mature’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*karazreconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*karilaz‘free man’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*karil‘free peasant, churl’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150ċeorl‘a churl, a freeman ranked below a thane but above a thrall’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150ċeorlisċ‘of or pertaining to churls’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500cherlisch‘Churlish, surly’
- Englishearliest quotation 1605churlish
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵerh₂-‘to grow old, to mature’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*karazreconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*karilaz‘free man’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*karil‘free peasant, churl’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150ċeorl‘a churl, a freeman ranked below a thane but above a thrall’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150ċeorlisċ‘of or pertaining to churls’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500cherlisch‘Churlish, surly’
- Englishearliest quotation 1605churlish
Earliest quotation: 1605, Francis Bacon, The First Booke: “[A]nd it is without all controuerſie, that learning doth…”
Formed from churl + -ish
Proto-Germanic *karilaz ‘elder’
Proto-West Germanic *kerl
Old English ċeorl ‘freeman ranking below a þegn but above a thrall’
West Midland Middle English churle ‘person not of the nobility or clergy’
English churl
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵerh₂- ‘to grow old, to mature’
corn, grain, granite, kernel, garner, grange, garnet, kern, granary, geriatrics, granule, 13 more
through Proto-Germanic *karilaz ‘free man’
Today it means
adj Of or pertaining to a serf, peasant, or rustic.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵerh₂- / churlish