Churl

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɜː(r)l

Origin

From Middle English churl, cherl, cheorl, from Old English ċeorl ("a freeman of the lowest class, a churl, a countryman, husbandman, a hero, husband, man, male person, a man of inferior class, peasant, rustic, commoner, layman"), from Proto-Germanic *karilaz ("man, elder"), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵera-, *ǵrā- ("grown-up, old, mature"). Cognate with Scots churl ("a churl, a rustic"), North Frisian tzierl, tjierl, tsjerl ("fellow, man, churl"), West Frisian tsjirl ("fellow, churl"), Dutch kerel ("man, churl, fellow"), Low German kerl, kerel, kirl ("man, fellow, churl"), German Kerl ("man, fellow"), Swedish karl ("man, fellow"), Icelandic karl ("a male").

The deprecating sense develops by 1300. The variant carl, carle (without derogatory connotation) is a loan from the Old Norse cognate. See carl, carle.

Full definition of churl

Noun

1. A rustic; a countryman or labourer; a peasant.
• EmersonYour rank is all reversed; let men of cloth
  Bow to the stalwart churls in overalls.
2. A rough, surly, ill-bred person; a boor.
• Sir Philip SidneyA churl's courtesy rarely comes, but either for gain or falsehood.
3. A selfish miser; an illiberal person; a niggard.
• Draytonlike to some rich churl hoarding up his pelf
4. (Theodism) a freedman, ranked below a thane but above a thrall

Anagrams

• lurch