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Anglo-Saxon

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CEORL

  • noun [ masculine ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
CEORL, es; m.
Wright's OE grammar
§85; §91; §311; §335;
a freeman of the lowest class,CHURL, countryman, husbandman; homo liber, rusticus, colonus
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  • Ceorles weorþig sceal beón betýned

    a churl's close must be fenced,

    • L. In. 40
      • ;
    • Th. i. 126, 13
      • .

  • Se ceorl,

    • 60
      • ;
    • Th. i. 140, 8
      • .

  • Swá we eác settaþ be eallum hádum, ge ceorle ge eorle

    so also we ordain for all degrees, whether to churl or earl [gentle or simple ],

    • L. Alf. pol. 4
      • ;
    • Th. i. 64, 3
      • .

  • Twelfhyndes mannes áþ forstent vi ceorla áþ

    a twelve hundred man's oath stands for six churls' oaths,

    • L. O. 13
      • ;
    • Th. i. 182, 19
      • .

  • Be ceorlesgærstúne

    of a husbandman's meadow,

    • L. In. 42
      • ;
    • Th. i. 128, 4, 5
      • .

  • Landes [MS. londes] ceorl

    a land's man,

    • Bt. Met. Fox 12, 54
      • ;
    • Met. 12, 27
      • .
a man, husband; vir, maritus
Show examples

  • Ceorla cyngc

    king of the commons,

    • Chr. 1020
      • ;
    • Erl. 160, 23
      • .

  • Ealdan ceorlas wilniaþ

    old men wish,

    • Bt. 36, 5
      • ;
    • Fox 180, 7
      • .

  • Clypa ðínne ceorl

    voca virum [husband] tuum,

    • Jn. Bos. 4, 16, 17
      • .

  • Ðú hæfdest fíf ceorlas

    thow hast had five husbands,

    • 4, 18
      • .
a free man, as opposed to þeów, and to þrǽl a slave; or as opposed to þegen a thane or nobleman, as we say, 'gentle or simple:'
Show examples
  • —

    We witan ðæt, þurh Godes gyfe, þrǽl wearþ to þegene, and ceorl wearþ to eorle, sangere to sacerde, and bócere to biscope

    we know that, by the grace of God, a slave has risen to a thane, and a ceorl [free man] has risen to an earl, a singer to a priest, and a scribe to be a bishop

    ,
    • L. Eth. vii. 21
      • ;
    • Th. i. 334, 7-9
      • .

  • Gif ceorl geþeáh, ðæt he hæfde fullíce fíf hída ágenes landes, cirican and cycenan [MS. ky-cenan ], bell-hús and burh-geat-setl, and sunder-note on cynges healle, ðonne wæs he ðonon-forþ þegen-rihtes weorþe

    if a free man thrived, so that he had fully five hides of his own land, church and kitchen, bell-house and a city-gate-seat, and special duty in the king's hall, then was he thenceforth worthy of thane-right,

    • L. R. 2
      • ;
    • Th. i. 190, 14-17
      • .
Etymology
[
Chauc. cherl:
Wyc. cherl, churl:
Laym. cheorl:
Orm. cherl a young man:
Plat. keerl:
Frs. tzierl:
O. Frs. tzerle, tzirle:
Dut. karel, m:
Ger. M. H. Ger. kerl, m:
O. H. Ger. charal, charl, m;
Icel. karl, m.
]
Derived forms
ceorl-boren, -folc, -ian, -isc, -iscnes
Linked entries
v.  ciorl.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “CEORL.” In An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary Online, edited by Thomas Northcote Toller, Christ Sean, and Ondřej Tichy. Prague: Faculty of Arts, Charles University, 2014. https://bosworthtoller.com/6049.

Checked: 1
Full form

Word-wheel

  • CEORL, n.

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