Etymology dictionary

chanteuse (n.) — Chattahoochee

chanteuse (n.)

"female singer of popular songs," 1866, from French chanteuse (16c.), fem. agent noun of chanter "to sing" (from PIE root *kan- "to sing"). In Old French, the word was chanteresse, which gave Middle English chaunteresse "nun who sings or leads the singing" (late 14c.). Milton has chauntress, but the word seems to have gone extinct before the 19c. reborrowing.

chanty (n.)

1856, also shanty, chantey "song with a boisterous chorus, sung by sailors while heaving or hoisting anything heavy;" probably an alteration of French chanter "to sing," from Latin cantare "to sing" (from PIE root *kan- "to sing"). Perhaps the immediate source is French chantez, imperative of chanter. The purpose was to enable them to pull or heave together in time with the song.

chanticleer (n.)

"a cock," c. 1300, from Old French Chantecler (Modern French Chanteclair), quasi-proper name of the cock in medieval stories of Reynard the Fox; literally "sing-loud" or "sing-clear," from chanter "to sing" (from PIE root *kan- "to sing") + cler (see clear (adj.)). Ben Jonson makes it chant-it-clear.

Chantilly

town in France near Paris; as a kind of porcelain made there, 1774; in reference to a delicate lace originally made there, 1831. The place name is Medieval Latin Chantileium, from the Gallo-Roman personal name Cantilius.

Chanukah

also Chanukkah, "eight-day Jewish festival in commemoration of the purification of the Temple in Jerusalem in 165 B.C.E.," 1891, from Hebrew hanukkah "consecration."

chaos (n.)

late 14c., "gaping void; empty, immeasurable space," from Old French chaos (14c.) or directly from Latin chaos, from Greek khaos "abyss, that which gapes wide open, that which is vast and empty" (from *khnwos, from PIE root *ghieh- "to yawn, gape, be wide open").

The meaning "utter confusion" (c. 1600) is an extended sense from theological use of chaos in the Vulgate version of "Genesis" (1530s in English) for "the void at the beginning of creation, the confused, formless, elementary state of the universe." The Greek for "disorder" was tarakhē, but the use of chaos here was rooted in Hesiod ("Theogony"), who describes khaos as the primeval emptiness of the Universe, and in Ovid ("Metamorphoses"), who opposes Khaos to Kosmos, "the ordered Universe." Sometimes it was personified as a god, begetter of Erebus and Nyx ("Night").

Meaning "orderless confusion" in human affairs is from c. 1600. Chaos theory in the modern mathematical sense is attested from c. 1977.

chaotic (adj.)

1713, "in a state of primordial chaos," irregularly formed in English from chaos + -ic, probably on model of eros/erotic, demos/demotic, hypnos/hypnotic, etc. The transferred or figurative meaning "confused, disordered" is from 1747. Related: Chaotically.

chap (v.)

"to crack open in fissures," mid-15c., chappen (intransitive) "to split, burst open in fissures;" "cause to split or crack" (transitive); perhaps a variant of choppen (see chop (v.), and compare strap/strop), or related to Middle Dutch kappen "to chop, cut," Danish kappe, Swedish kappa "to cut."

Usually in reference to the effects of extreme cold followed by heat on exposed body parts. Related: Chapped; chapping. The noun meaning "fissure in the skin" is from late 14c.

chap (n.)

1570s, "customer," short for obsolete chapman in its secondary sense "purchaser, trader" (also see cheap). The colloquial familiar sense of "lad, fellow, man or boy" is first attested 1716, usually with a qualifying adjective. Compare slang (tough) customer and German Kunde "customer, purchaser," colloquially "fellow."

chaps (n.1)

1844, American English, short for chaparejos, from Mexican Spanish chaparreras, leather overalls worn to protect riders' legs from the chaparro (see chaparral).

chaps (n.2)

"jaws, cheeks," from chap (n.), 1550s, which is of unknown origin. Hence, chap-fallen "with the lower jaw hanging down" (1590s), hence, figuratively, "dejected, disspirited" (c. 1600).

chaparral (n.)

"dense, low shrub thicket," 1850, American English, from Spanish chaparro "evergreen oak," perhaps from Basque txapar "little thicket," diminutive of sapar "heath, thicket."

chap-book (n.)

also chapbook, 1812, from chap, short for chapman, so called because chapmen once sold such books.

chapeau (n.)

"a hat," 1520s, from French chapeau (Old French capel, 12c.) "hat," from Vulgar Latin *cappellus, from Late Latin capellum (also source of Italian cappello, Spanish capelo, Portuguese chapeo), diminutive of cappa (see cap (n.)). Especially a hat forming part of an official costume or uniform.

chapel (n.)

early 13c., "subordinate place of worship added to or forming part of a large church or cathedral, separately dedicated and devoted to special services," from Old French chapele (12c., Modern French chapelle), from Medieval Latin capella, cappella "chapel, sanctuary for relics," literally "little cape," diminutive of Late Latin cappa "cape" (see cap (n.)).

By tradition, the name is originally in reference to the sanctuary in France in which the miraculous cape of St. Martin of Tours, patron saint of France, was preserved. (While serving Rome as a soldier deployed in Gaul, Martin cut his military coat in half to share it with a ragged beggar. That night, Martin dreamed Christ wearing the half-cloak; the half Martin kept was the relic.) The other theory is that it comes from Medieval Latin capella in a literal sense of "canopy, hood" and is a reference to the "covering" of the altar when Mass is said.

The word spread to most European languages (German Kapelle, Italian cappella, etc.). In English from 17c. it was used also of places of worship other than those of the established church.

chaperon (n.)

"woman accompanying and guiding a younger, unmarried lady in public," 1720, from French chaperon "protector," especially "female companion to a young woman," earlier "head covering, hood" (c. 1400), from Old French chaperon "hood, cowl" (12c.), diminutive of chape "cape" (see cap (n.)). "... English writers often erroneously spell it chaperone, app. under the supposition that it requires a fem. termination" [OED]. The notion is of "covering" the socially vulnerable one. The word had been used in Middle English in the literal sense "hooded cloak."

chaperon (v.)

"act as a chaperon, attend (an unmarried girl or woman) in public," 1792, also chaperone, from chaperon (n.), or from French chaperonner, from the noun in French. Related: Chaperoned; chaperoning.

chaplain (n.)

mid-14c., "minister of a chapel," from Old French chapelein "clergyman" (Modern French chapelain), from Medieval Latin cappellanus "clergyman," literally "custodian of (St. Martin's) cloak;" see chapel.

It replaced late Old English capellane (from the same Medieval Latin source), the sense of which was "clergyman who conducts private religious services," originally in great households; this sense continued in chaplain and later was extended to clergymen in military regiments, prisons, etc.

chaplaincy (n.)

"office or post of a chaplain," 1745, from chaplain + -cy.

chaplet (n.)

"garland or wreath for the head," late 14c., from Old French chapelet (Old North French capelet) "garland, rosary," properly "a small hat," diminutive of chape, chapeau "head-dress, hood, hat" (see chapeau).

Chaplinesque (adj.)

1921, of, resembling, or in the style of Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977), British-born silent movie star. The surname is attested from c. 1200, from Old French chapelain "priest."

chapman (n.)

"peddler, itinerant tradesman," Middle English form of Old English ceapman "tradesman," from West Germanic compound *kaupman- (source also of Old High German choufman, German Kauffman, Middle Dutch and Dutch koopman), formed with equivalents of man (n.) + West Germanic *kaup- (source also of Old Saxon cop, Old Frisian kap "trade, purchase," Middle Dutch coop, Dutch koop "trade, market, bargain," kauf "trader," Old English ceap "barter, business; a purchase").

This is from Proto-Germanic *kaupōn- (source also of Danish kjøb "purchase, bargain," Old Norse kaup "bargain, pay;" compare also Old Church Slavonic kupiti "to buy," a Germanic loan-word), probably an early Germanic borrowing (Boutkan says 1c. C.E.) from Latin caupo (genitive cauponis) "petty tradesman, huckster, peddler," which is of unknown origin.

Compare cheap (adj.). In Middle English and later, chapman also could mean "a customer, purchaser." In a c. 1200 work the Devil is þe chapmon of helle as "the purchaser of souls."

Chappaquiddick

place in Dukes County, Massachusetts; from a native New England Algonquian language, literally "island adjacent to the mainland."

chapter (n.)

c. 1200, "main division of a book," from Old French chapitre (12c.) "chapter (of a book), article (of a treaty), chapter (of a cathedral)," alteration of chapitle, from Late Latin capitulum "main part, chapter of a book," in Medieval Latin also "a synod or council," literally "little head," diminutive of Latin caput "head," also "leader, guide, chief person; summit; capital city; origin, source, spring," figuratively "life, physical life;" in writing "a division, paragraph;" of money, "the principal sum," from PIE root *kaput- "head."

The sense of "local branch of a society or organization" (1815) is from the Church sense of "body of the canons of a cathedral or collegiate church, members of a religious order" (late 14c.), which seems to trace to the convocations of canons at cathedral churches, during which the rules of the order by chapter, or a chapter (capitulum) of Scripture, were read aloud to the assembled. Chapter and verse "in full and thoroughly" (1620s) is a reference to Scripture.

char (v.)

"to reduce to charcoal," 1670s, probably a back-formation from charcoal (q.v.). Related: Charred; charring.

charabanc (n.)

British for "open-sided sightseeing bus," 1811, originally in a Continental context (especially Swiss), from French char-à-bancs, literally "benched carriage," from char "wagon" (from Latin carrus "two-wheeled wagon;" see car) + à "to" (see ad-) + banc "bench" (see bench (n.)).

character (n.)

mid-14c., carecter, "symbol marked or branded on the body;" mid-15c., "symbol or drawing used in sorcery;" late 15c., "alphabetic letter, graphic symbol standing for a sound or syllable;" from Old French caratere "feature, character" (13c., Modern French caractère), from Latin character, from Greek kharaktēr "engraved mark," also "symbol or imprint on the soul," properly "instrument for marking," from kharassein "to engrave," from kharax "pointed stake," a word of uncertain etymology which Beekes considers "most probably Pre-Greek." In English the Latin ch- spelling was restored from 1500s.

The meaning of Greek kharaktēr was extended in Hellenistic times by metaphor to "a defining quality, individual feature." In English, the meaning "sum of qualities that define a person or thing and distinguish it from another" is from 1640s. That of "moral qualities assigned to a person by repute" is from 1712.

The sense of "person in a play or novel" is first attested 1660s, in reference to the "defining qualities" he or she is given by the author. The meaning "a person" in the abstract is from 1749; especially "eccentric person" (1773). The colloquial sense of "chap, fellow" is from 1931. Character-actor, one who specializes in characters with marked peculiarities, is attested from 1861; character assassination is so called from 1888; character building (n.) from 1886.

characterization (n.)

1560s, "marking out of a precise form" (now obsolete); see characterize + noun ending -ation. The meaning "description of essential features, portrayal in words" is from 1814.

characterize (v.)

1590s, "engrave, write," a back-formation from characterization, or else from Medieval Latin characterizare, from Greek kharaktērizein "designate by a characteristic mark," from kharaktēr (see character). The meaning "describe the qualities of" is recorded from 1630s; the sense of "be characteristic of" is from 1744; that of "impart a special stamp or character to" is from 1807. Related: Characterized; characterizing.

characterisation (n.)

chiefly British English spelling of characterization; for spelling, see -ize.

characterise (v.)

chiefly British English spelling of characterize; for suffix, see -ize. Related: Characterised; characterising.

characteristic

adjective ("pertaining to or indicating character") and noun ("a distinctive trait; that which gives or indicates character") both first attested 1660s, from character + -istic on model of Greek kharaktēristikos. Earlier in the adjectival sense was characteristical (1620s). Related: Characteristically (1640s). Characteristics "distinctive traits" also is attested from 1660s.

charade (n.)

1776, from French charade (18c.), probably from Provençal charrado "long talk, chatter," which is of obscure origin, perhaps from charrar "to chatter, gossip," of echoic origin. Compare Italian ciarlare, Spanish charlar "to talk, prattle."

The thing itself was originally a verse word-play based on enigmatic descriptions of the words or syllables according to particular rules.

Among the examples given are:

The answer is "snow-ball." The silent charade, the main modern form of the game, was at first a variant known as dumb charades that adhered to the old pattern, and the performing team acted out all the parts in order before the audience team began to guess.

An 1850 book, "Acting Charades," reports that Charades en Action were all the rage in French society, and that "Lately, the game has been introduced into the drawing-rooms of a few mirth-loving Englishmen. Its success has been tremendous." Welsh siarad obviously is a loan-word from French or English, but its meaning of "speak, a talk" is closer to the Provençal original.

charcoal (n.)

"coal made by subjecting wood to smothered combustion," mid-14c., charcole, from coal; the first element is either Old French charbon "charcoal," or [Middle English Compendium] Middle English charren "to turn, change" (from Old English cerran) + cole "coal," thus, "turned to coal."

charcuterie (n.)

"cold cuts of pork, sausage, etc.," 1858, from French charcuterie, literally "pork-butcher's shop," from charcutier "pork-butcher" (16c.), from obsolete char (Modern French chair) cuite "cooked flesh," from chair "meat" (Old French char, from Latin carnem "flesh," originally "a piece of flesh," from PIE root *sker- (1) "to cut") + cuit, past participle of cuire "to cook," from Latin coquere "to cook" (from PIE root *pekw- "to cook, ripen"). Compare French charcutier "pork butcher; meat roaster, seller of cooked (not raw) meat."

chard (n.)

"blanched leaf of artichoke," 1650s, from French carde "chard" (14c.), perhaps via Provençal, from Latin carduus "thistle, artichoke" (see cardoon).

Chardonnay (n.)

type of dry white wine, 1907, from French chardonnay, originally the type of grape used to make the wine, supposedly named for the town of Chardonnay, Saône-et-Loire, in eastern France. The name is said to be from Latin Cardonnacum. The wine was enormously popular worldwide in 1990s and early 2000s and the word came to be used as a given name for girls.

charette (n.)

also charrette, c. 1400, "a chariot, a cart," from Old French charrete "wagon, small cart" (12c.), diminutive of charre, from Latin carrum, carrus "wagon" (see car).

The meaning "a concerted effort by concerned individuals to accomplish a given task by marathon work in a defined, short time" is attested by 1977, originally among architects, from French charette (by 1880s in this sense); it is said to have begun in this sense in the jargon of student architects hurrying to finish their models before they would have to be placed in the charrette which collected them for consideration.

charge (n.)

c. 1200, "a load, a weight," from Old French charge "load, burden; imposition," from chargier "to load, to burden," from Late Latin carricare "to load a wagon or cart," from Latin carrus "two-wheeled wagon" (see car). A doublet of cargo.

The meaning "responsibility, burden" is from mid-14c. (as in take charge, late 14c.; in charge, 1510s), which progressed to "pecuniary burden, cost, burden of expense" (mid-15c.), and then to "price demanded for service or goods" (1510s). The meaning "anything committed to another's custody, care, or management" is from 1520s.

The legal sense of "accusation" is late 15c.; earlier "injunction, order" (late 14c.). The meaning "address delivered by a judge to a jury at the close of a trial" is from 1680s. The electrical sense is from 1767.

The slang meaning "thrill, kick" (American English) is from 1951. The meaning "quantity of powder required for one discharge of a firearm" is from 1650s. The military meaning "impetuous attack upon an enemy" is from 1560s; as an order or signal to make such an attack, 1640s.

charge (v.)

early 13c., chargen, "to load, put a burden on or in; fill with something to be retained," from Old French chargier "to load, burden, weigh down," from Late Latin carricare "to load a wagon or cart," from Latin carrus "two-wheeled wagon" (see car).

The senses of "entrust," "command," and "accuse" all emerged in Middle English and were found in Old French. The sense of "rush in to attack, bear down upon" is from 1560s, perhaps through the earlier meaning "load a weapon" (1540s). The meaning "impose a burden of expense" is from mid-14c. That of "to fix or ask as a price" is from 1787; the meaning "hold liable for payment, enter a debt against" is by 1889. The meaning "fill with electricity" is from 1748. Related: Charged; charging.

chargeable (adj.)

late 15c., "burdensome," from charge (v.) + -able. The sense of "subject to a tax or payment" is from 1610s; that of "liable to be made an expense" is from 1640s; that of "liable to be charged" (with an offense, etc.) is from 1660s. Related: Chargeability.

charge d'affaires (n.)

"one who transacts diplomatic business with a foreign government during the absence of a superior," 1767, from French chargé d'affaires, literally "(one) charged with affairs;" see charge (v.) + affair (n.).

charger (n.)

late 15c., "one who loads," agent noun from charge (v.). The meaning "war-horse, horse ridden in charging" is from 1762. The meaning "appliance for charging" in any sense is from 1711, originally in reference to firearms; from 1901 as "device to give charge to an electric battery."

chary (adj.)

Old English cearig "sorrowful, full of care," the adjective from care (n.), q.v. The sense evolved 16c. from "full of care" to "careful." Compare the sense evolution of careful. The meaning "sparing, frugal" is from 1560s. Cognate with Old Saxon carag, Old High German charag "full of sorrow, trouble, or care." Related: Charily; chariness.

charioteer (n.)

"one who drives a chariot," late 14c., from Old French charioteur, from charriot (see chariot). As a verb, "to drive a chariot," from 1802. Related: Charioteered; charioteering.

chariot (n.)

"ancient two-wheeled vehicle used in war, racing, and private life," mid-14c., from Old French charriot "wagon" (13c.), augmentative of char "car," from Late Latin carrum "chariot" (see car).

charisma (n.)

1875, "special spiritual gift or power divinely conferred, talent from God" (as on the early Christians in "Acts," etc.), Latinized form of Greek kharisma "favor, divine gift," from kharizesthai "to show favor to," from kharis "grace, beauty, kindness" (Charis was the name of one of the three attendants of Aphrodite), which is related to khairein "to rejoice at" (from PIE root *gher- (2) "to like, want").

In the form charism (plural charismata) it is attested in the "special spiritual gift from god" sense from 1640s. Middle English, meanwhile, had karisme "spiritual gift, divine grace" (c. 1500).

The meaning "gift of leadership, power of authority" is from c. 1930, from German, used in this sense by Max Weber (1864-1920) in "Wirtschaft u. Gesellschaft" (1922). The more mundane sense of "personal charm" recorded by 1959.

charismatic (adj.)

"of or pertaining to charisma," 1851, in Bible commentary and theology, in reference to the operation of the Holy Spirit and prophetic ecstasy in the early Church (from the use of Greek kharismata in Romans xii), from Latin stem of charisma + -ic. As a movement in modern Christianity emphasizing divine gifts of healing, tongues, etc., attested by 1936, reflecting the older sense of charisma.

charitable (adj.)

c. 1200, in reference to the Christian virtue, "benevolent, kind, manifesting Christian love in its highest and broadest form," from Old French charitable, from charité (see charity). The meaning "liberal in treatment of the poor" is from c. 1400; that of "inclined to impute favorable motives to others" is from 1620s. Related: Charitableness; charitably.

charity (n.)

late Old English, "benevolence for the poor," also "Christian love in its highest manifestation," from Old French charité "(Christian) charity, mercy, compassion; alms; charitable foundation" (12c.), from Latin caritatem (nominative caritas) "costliness; esteem, affection," from carus "dear, valued" (from PIE *karo-, from root *ka- "to like, desire").

In the Vulgate the Latin word often is used as translation of Greek agape "love" — especially Christian love of fellow man — perhaps to avoid the sexual suggestion of Latin amor). The Vulgate also sometimes translated agape by Latin dilectio, noun of action from diligere "to esteem highly, to love" (see diligence).

The general sense of "affections people ought to feel for one another" is from c. 1300. Also from c. 1300 as "an act of kindness or philanthropy," also "alms, that which is bestowed gratuitously on a person or persons in need." The sense of "charitable foundation or institution" in English is attested by 1690s. The meaning "liberality in judging others or their actions" is from late 15c. A charity-school (1680s) educated (and sometimes housed and fed) poor children and was maintained by voluntary contributions or bequests.

charivari (n.)

"rough music, a mock-serenade intended as annoyance or insult," especially as a community way of expressing disapproval of a marriage match, 1735, from French charivari, from Old French chalivali "discordant noise made by pots and pans" (14c.), from Late Latin caribaria "a severe headache," from Greek karebaria "headache," from karē- "head" (from PIE root *ker- (1) "horn; head") + barys "heavy" (from PIE root *gwere- (1) "heavy"). Compare callithumpian.

Charles

masc. proper name, from French Charles, from Medieval Latin Carolus, from Middle High German Karl, literally "man, husband" (see carl).

charlatanism (n.)

"methods of a charlatan," 1804, from French charlatanisme; see charlatan + -ism. OED describes synonym charlatanry (1630s) as "More contemptuous ... and referring more to actual practice."

charlatan (n.)

"one who pretends to knowledge, skill, importance, etc.," 1610s, from French charlatan "mountebank, babbler" (16c.), from Italian ciarlatano "a quack," from ciarlare "to prate, babble," from ciarla "chat, prattle," which is perhaps imitative of ducks' quacking. Related: Charlatanical.

Charlemagne

king of the Franks (742-814), literally "Carl the Great," from French form of Medieval Latin Carolus Magnus (see Charles + Magnus).

Charles's Wain (n.)

famous seven-star figure of the northern sky, Old English Carles wægn, a star-group associated in medieval times with Charlemagne, but earlier with the nearby bright star Arcturus. Arcturus is linked by folk etymology to Latin Arturus "Arthur," which places the seven-star asterism at the crux of the legendary association (or confusion) of Arthur and Charlemagne. Evidence from Dutch (cited in Grimm, "Teutonic Mythology") suggests that it might originally have been Woden's wagon. More recent names for it are the Plough (by 15c., chiefly British) and the Dipper (1833, chiefly American).

It is called "the Wagon" in a Mesopotamian text from 1700 B.C.E., and it is mentioned in the Biblical Book of Job. The seven bright stars in the modern constellation Ursa Major have borne a dual identity in Western history at least since Homer's time, being seen as both a wagon and a bear: as in Latin plaustrum "freight-wagon, ox cart" and arctos "bear," both used of the seven-star pattern, as were equivalent Greek amaxa (Attic hamaxa) and arktos.

The identification with a wagon is easy to see, with four stars as the body and three as the pole. The identification with a bear is more difficult, as the figure has a tail longer than its body. As Allen writes, "The conformation of the seven stars in no way resembles the animal,—indeed the contrary ...." But he suggests the identification "may have arisen from Aristotle's idea that its prototype was the only creature that dared invade the frozen north." The seven stars never were below the horizon in the latitude of the Mediterranean in Homeric and classical times (not so today, due to precession of the equinoxes). See also arctic for the identification of the bear and the north in classical times.

A variety of French and English sources from the early colonial period independently note that many native North American tribes in the northeast had long seen the seven-star group as a bear tracked by three hunters (or a hunter and his two dogs).

Among the Teutonic peoples, it seems to have been only a wagon. A 10c. Anglo-Saxon astronomy manual uses the Greek-derived Aretos, but mentions that the unlearned call it "Charles's Wain":

[Septemtrio, the seven oxen, was yet another Roman name.] The star picture was not surely identified as a bear in English before late 14c.

The unlearned of today are corrected that the seven stars are not the Great Bear but only a part of that large constellation. But the name "Bear" belongs to the seven stars, and from Homer's time down to Thales, "the Bear" meant just that, but modern astronomers drew it bigger in parceling out the sky for their convenience.

From Rome to Anglo-Saxon England to Arabia to India, ancient astronomy texts mention a supposed duplicate constellation to the northern bear in the Southern Hemisphere, never visible from the north. This perhaps is based on sailors' tales of the Southern Cross.

Charleston

city in South Carolina, U.S., named for King Charles II of England. In reference to a dance style characterized by side-kicks from the knee, from 1923 (as title of a song), 1925 as a dance, named for the city.

charley horse (n.)

1887, sporting slang, origin obscure, probably from somebody's long-forgotten lame racehorse. Charley horse seems to have been a name for a horse or a type of horse (perhaps especially a lame one) around that time.

Charlie

masc. proper name, also Charley, familiar form of Charles (also see -y (3)); 1965 in Vietnam War U.S. military slang for "Vietcong, Vietcong soldier," probably suggested by Victor Charlie, military communication code for V.C. (as abbreviation of Viet Cong), perhaps strengthened by World War II slang use of Charlie for Japanese soldiers, which itself is probably an extension of the 1930s derogatory application of Charlie to any Asian man, from fictional Chinese detective Charlie Chan.

Other applications include "a London night watchman" (1812); "a goatee beard" (1834, from portraits of King Charles I and his contemporaries); "a fox" (1857); in plural "a woman's breasts" (1874); "an infantryman's pack" (World War I); and "a white man" (Mr. Charlie), 1960, American English, from Black vernacular.

Charlotte

fem. proper name, from the French fem. of Charlot, a diminutive of Charles. The meaning "apple marmalade covered with bread-crumbs" is attested from 1796, presumably from French (where, however, the dessert name is attested only from 1804), possibly from the fem. proper name, but the connection is obscure. Perhaps it is from some French dialect word. Compare Middle English charlette (mid-14c.) "dish containing meat, eggs, milk, etc.," said to be probably from Old French char laité "meat with milk."

The city in North Carolina was settled c. 1750 and named for Princess Charlotte Sophia (1744-1818), who married George III of England in 1761; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, also was named for her (1763).

charm (v.)

c. 1300, charmen, "to recite or cast a magic spell," from Old French charmer (13c.) "to enchant, to fill (someone) with desire (for something); to protect, cure, treat; to maltreat, harm," from Late Latin carminare, from Latin carmen "song, verse, enchantment, religious formula" (see charm (n.)).

In Old French used alike of magical and non-magical activity. In English, "to win over by treating pleasingly, delight" from mid-15c.; the weaker sense of "be highly pleasing" is by early 18c. Charmed as a conventional reply to a greeting or meeting (short for I am charmed) is attested by 1825.

charm (n.)

c. 1300, "incantation, magic charm," from Old French charme (12c.) "magic charm, magic spell incantation; song, lamentation," from Latin carmen "song, verse, enchantment, religious formula," from canere "to sing" (from PIE root *kan- "to sing"), with dissimilation of -n- to -r- before -m- in intermediate form *canmen (for a similar evolution, compare Latin germen "germ," from *genmen). The notion is of chanting or reciting verses of magical power.

The sense of "pleasing quality, irresistible power to please and attract" evolved by 17c. It is attested from 1590s as "any item worn to avert evil;" the meaning "small trinket fastened to a watch-chain, etc." is recorded by 1865. Quantum physics sense is from 1964. Charm-bracelet is from 1941; charm-school from 1919. To work like a charm (figuratively) is recorded by 1824.

charming (adj.)

late 14c., "using charms;" 1610s (implied in charmingly) as "enchanting, delightful;" present-participle adjective from charm (v.).

charmer (n.)

mid-14c., "one who casts spells;" 1670s as "one who has the power of fascinating," agent noun from charm (v.).

charnel (adj.)

"common repository for deads bodies," late 14c., from Old French charnel (12c.) "fleshly," from Late Latin carnale "graveyard," properly neuter of adjective carnalis, from Latin carnis "of the flesh," genitive of caro "flesh, meat," "flesh," originally "a piece of flesh" (from PIE root *sker- (1) "to cut"). As an adjective from 1813. The Late Latin word was glossed in Old English as flæschus "flesh-house." Charnel house is attested from 1550s.

Charon

ferryman of the dead over the river Styx, from Latinized form of Greek Kharon, which is of unknown origin.

chart (n.)

1570s, "map for the use of navigators," from French charte "card, map," from Late Latin charta "paper, card, map" (see card (n.1)).

Charte is the original form of the French word in all senses, but after 14c. (perhaps by influence of Italian cognate carta), carte began to supplant it. English used both carte and card 15c.-17c. for "chart, map," and in 17c. chart could mean "playing card," but the words have gone their separate ways and chart has predominated since in the "map" sense.

The meaning "sheet on which information is presented in a methodical or tabulated form" is from 1840; specifically in the music score sense from 1957.

chart (v.)

1837, "to enter onto a map or chart," from chart (n.). In the commercial recording sense, in reference to appearing on the chart of top-selling or most played records published in Billboard magazine, by 1961. The chart itself was printed from c. 1942. Related: Charted; charting.

charter (n.)

"formal written instrument bestowing privileges and rights, serving as legal evidence of them," c. 1200, from Old French chartre (12c.) "charter, letter, document, covenant," from Latin chartula/cartula, literally "little paper," diminutive of charta/carta "paper, document" (see chart (n.)). The meaning "aircraft hired for a particular purpose" is from 1922.

charter (v.)

early 15c., "provide with a charter," from charter (n.). The meaning "to hire by special contract" is attested from 1806. Related: Chartered; chartering.

Charterhouse

great English public school founded in London in 1611, a folk etymology alteration of chartreux (see chartreuse); so called because it was founded upon the site of a Carthusian monastery.

charter school (n.)

older uses refer to schools in Ireland begun 1733 by the Charter Society to provide Protestant education to poor Catholic children. Modern use in U.S. began c. 1988, as an alternative to state-run public education. See charter (n.).

Chartism (n.)

1839 in English political history, in reference to the principles of the reform party active 1836-48, from "The People's Charter," which contained their principles (universal suffrage, abolition of the property qualification for serving in Parliament, equal representation, etc.). From charter (n.) + -ism. Related: Chartist (1838).

Chartres

cathedral city in central France, said to be named for the Carnutes, Gaulish people who had a sacred place there, whose name is said to be from a root meaning "rock, stone," but there is a famous "Druid Stone" at the church.

chartreuse (n.)

esteemed type of liqueur, 1866, from la Grande-Chartreuse, chief monastery of the Carthusian order, which was founded 11c. and named for the massif de la Chartreuse (Medieval Latin Carthusianus) mountain group in the French Alps, where its first monastery was built. The liqueur recipe dates from early 17c.; the original now is marketed as Les Pères Chartreux. The color name (1884) is from the pale apple-green hue of the best type of the liqueur.

chartulary (n.)

"collection of charters," 1570s, from Medieval Latin chartularium, from Latin chartula "a charter, record" (see charter (n.)).

charwoman (n.)

"woman hired by the day to do odd work," 1590s, from Middle English char, cherre "turn of work" (see chore) + woman. Probably it is older than the attested records: An Alicia Charwoman appears in the Borough of Nottingham records in 1379.

Charybdis

whirlpool off the coast of Sicily, from Latinized form of Greek Kharybdis, which is of unknown origin. Compare Scylla.

chase (n.1)

mid-13c., chace, "a hunt, a pursuit (of a wild animal) for the purpose of capturing and killing," from Old French chace "a hunt, a chase; hunting ground" (12c.), from chacier (see chase (v.)).

The meaning "a pursuit" (of an enemy, etc.) is from early 14c. The sense of "occupation or pastime of hunting wild animals" is from early 14c.; the meaning "group of hunters pursuing game" is from 1811. The sense of "piece of privately owned open ground preserved for animals to be hunted" is from mid-15c.

chase (v.)

c. 1300, chacen "to hunt; to cause to go away; put to flight," from Old French chacier "to hunt, ride swiftly, strive for" (12c., Modern French chasser), from Vulgar Latin *captiare "try to seize, chase" (source of Italian cacciare, Catalan casar, Spanish cazar, Portuguese caçar "to chase, hunt"), from Latin captare "to take, hold," frequentative of capere "to take, hold" (from PIE root *kap- "to grasp"). The Old French word is a variant of cacier, cachier, making chase a doublet of catch (v.).

The meaning "run after" for any purpose is by mid-14c. Related: Chased; chasing. Ancient European words for "pursue" often also cover "persecute" (Greek diōkō, Old English ehtan), and in Middle English chase also meant "to persecute." Many modern "chase" words often derive from verbs used primarily for the hunting of animals.

chase (n.2)

"groove cut into any object," 1610s, from French chas "enclosure, enclosed space," from Vulgar Latin *capsum, from Latin capere "to take, receive, contain" (from PIE root *kap- "to grasp"). The meaning "bore of a gun barrel" is from 1640s.

chasing (n.)

"art of engraving designs on metallic surfaces," from chase (v.) "to decorate metal work," mid-15c., short for enchase, from Old French enchassé "enclosed, framed," from en- "in" (see in- (2)) + chasse (see chassis).

chaser (n.)

c. 1300, "horse trained for chasing," agent noun from chase (v.), probably in some cases from Old French chaceor "huntsman, hunter." The meaning "water or mild beverage taken after a strong drink" is by 1894, U.S. colloquial. French had chasse (from chasser "to chase") "a drink of liquor taken (or said to be taken) to kill the aftertaste of coffee or tobacco," which was used in English from c. 1800.

chasm (n.)

1590s, "deep crack in the earth," from Latin chasma, from Greek khasma "yawning hollow, gulf," related to khaskein "to yawn," and thus to chaos. In English in 17c. often spelled chasma. Figurative use, in reference to a great interruption or wide breach of any kind, is from 1640s. Related: Chasmy (1786); chasmal (1842, Poe); chasmic (1885). The bloody chasm (1868) was an old rhetorical phrase for the American Civil War.

chasse (n.)

French chassé "chase, chasing," past participle of chasser "to chase, hunt" (see chase (v.)), borrowed 19c. into English in a variety of senses and expressions, such as "chaser" (in the drinking sense), short for chasse-café, literally "coffee-chaser." Also as a dance step (1867).

chassepot (n.)

bolt-action breechloading rifle introduced into the French army 1866-68 and used by French forces in the Franco-Prussian War, 1870, named for French inventor Antonine-Alphonse Chassepot (1833-1905).

chasseur (n.)

mobile foot-soldier, 1796, French, literally "huntsman," from Old French chaceor "huntsman, hunter," from chacier "to chase" (see chase (v.)).

chassis (n.)

"base frame of an automobile," 1903, American English; earlier "sliding frame or carriage-base for a large gun" (1869), "window frame" (1660s), from French châssis "frame," Old French chassiz (13c.) "frame, framework, setting," from chasse "case, box, eye socket, snail's shell, setting (of a jewel)," from Latin capsa "box, case" (see case (n.2)) + French -is, collective suffix for a number of parts taken together. Compare sash (n.2).

chaste (adj.)

c. 1200, "virtuous, pure from unlawful sexual intercourse" (as defined by the Church), from Old French chaste "morally pure" (12c.), from Latin castus "clean, pure, morally pure" (see caste).

The transferred sense of "sexually pure" is by 15c., perhaps by influence of chastity, though chaste as a noun meaning "virgin person" is recorded from early 14c. Of language, etc., "free from obscenity," 1620s. Of artistic or literary style, "severely simple, unadorned," 1753. Related: Chastely.

chasten (v.)

"inflict trouble or pain on for the purpose of correction," 1520s, with -en (1) + the word it replaced, obsolete verb chaste "to correct (someone's) behavior" (Middle English chastien, c. 1200), from Old French chastiier "to punish" (see chastise). Now chiefly in reference to moral discipline, divine rather than corporal punishment. Related: Chastened; chastening.

chastisement (n.)

"pain and suffering inflicted for punishment and correction," c. 1300, from chastise + -ment.

chastise (v.)

"to inflict pain upon to punish and recall to duty, to punish for the purpose of correcting or reclaiming," c. 1300, chastisen, from Old French chastiier "to warn, advise, instruct; chastise, admonish; punish; dominate, tame" (12c., Modern French châtier), from Latin castigare "to set or keep right, to reprove, chasten, to punish," literally "to make pure" (see castigate). Or perhaps from Middle English chastien (see chasten) + -ise, though this would be early for such a native formation. The form of the modern word "is not easily accounted for" [OED]. Related: Chastised; chastising.

chastity (n.)

c. 1200, chastete, "sexual purity" (as defined by the Church), including but not limited to virginity or celibacy, from Old French chastete "chastity, purity" (12c., Modern French chasteté), from Latin castitatem (nominative castitas) "purity, chastity" from castus "cut off, separated; pure" (see caste). Chastity-belt is from 1894 (belt of chastity is from 1878).

chasuble (n.)

sleeveless ecclesiastical vestment, c. 1300, cheisible, from Old French chesible (12c., Modern French chasuble), from Medieval Latin casubla, from Late Latin *casubula, an unexplained alteration of Latin casula "a little hut," diminutive of casa "cottage, house" (see casino). The Latin word was used by c. 400 in a transferred sense of "outer garment" because hooded garments resembled or suggested little houses. The English form of the word was conformed to French from c. 1600.

chat (v.)

mid-15c., "talk idly, babble," short for chatter (v.). The meaning "converse familiarly" is from 1550s. The sense of "flirt with, ingratiate oneself with" (later often with up (adv.)) is from 1898. Related: Chatted; chatting.

chat (n.)

1520s, "chatter, frivolous talk;" see chat (v.). The meaning "familiar conversation" is from 1570s. As a name for birds with chattering cries, 1690s. Chat show for what in U.S. is a talk show is attested from 1967. Chat room in the online sense is attested by 1994, from the days when AOL ruled the primeval World Wide Web.

chateau (n.)

"large stately residence in the country, manor-house," c. 1739, from French château, from Old French chastel (12c.), from Latin castellum "castle" (see castle (n.)).

Chateaubriand (n.)

"grilled beef steak, garnished with herbs," 1877, named, for some reason, for French writer François René, Vicomte de Chateaubriand (1768-1848).

chatelaine (n.)

1845, "mistress of a castle or household," from French châtelaine "a female castellan; wife of a castellan; mistress of a castle or country house;" fem. of châtelain, from Old French chastelain "owner and lord of a castle, nobleman; keeper of a castle" (Modern French châtelaine), from chastel "castle," from Latin castellum "castle" (see castle (n.)). In fashion, as a type of ornamental belt, from 1851; it is supposed to resemble a chain of keys such as a chatelaine would wear.

chatoyant (adj.)

"changing in luster or color," like a cat's eye in the dark, 1816, from French chatoyant, past participle of chatoyer, from chat "cat" (see cat (n.)).

Chattahoochee

river between Georgia and Alabama, from Muskogee cato-hocce hvcce "marked-rock river," from cvto "rock," hocce "marked" + hvcce "stream."