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chivalry

Etymology and origin of the English word chivalry

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Formation
Borrowing
Borrowed from
Old French chevalerie via Middle English

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈʃɪvəlɹi/, /ˈt͡ʃɪvəlɹi/[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English chivalrie,[2][3][4] borrowed from Old French chevalerie (“knighthood, horsemanship, cavalry”),[2][4][5][6] from chevalier “knight”,[2][3][4][5] from Medieval Latin caballārius (“horseman”),[5] from Latin caballus “horse, nag”.[2][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Mounted, fully armed fighting men; a body of knights (c1300).[7][2][5] Barnhart dates the earlier form chevalrie to before 1300.[4]

Semantic evolution

The word goes back to the horse,[2] and first meant a body of mounted warriors and knighthood as a rank.[2][5][7] From the late 14th century it also meant the code of knightly conduct, emphasizing honour, valour, generosity and courtly manners.[5] The modern historical sense “the medieval system of knighthood” is first recorded in 1765,[2][5] and today the word usually means courteous, gallant behaviour, especially of men towards women.[2][1]

Timeline

  • 1297 – knighthood, the character of a knight.[7]
  • c1300 – mounted men-at-arms.[7][5]
  • 1375 – a body of men-at-arms.[7]
  • late 14th century – the knightly code of honour.[5]
  • 1765 – the medieval system of knighthood.[2]
  • 1816 – gallant gentlemen.[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. The qualities of the ideal knight, such as courage, courtesy, honour and generosity; chivalrous conduct.
  2. The medieval system, principles and customs of knighthood.
  3. A group of knights or gallant gentlemen.
  4. Courteous behaviour, especially of men towards women.
  5. (archaic) Mounted men-at-arms; martial valour or knightly skill.

Word family

  • chivalric

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b c d Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  6. ^ Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Chivalry.” Etymologically, 15 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/chivalry. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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