Medieval · insult · noun
Churl
CHURL /tʃɜːl/ (UK), /tʃɝl/ (US)pronunciation given by a dictionary
First recordedbefore 1100
Old English (before 1100); 'rude fellow' sense by 1300
In Old English a 'ceorl' was simply a free man of the lowest rank, a peasant. By 1300 it meant a bondman or a fellow of low birth or rude manners, and today it means a rude, surly or stingy person.
Where it was first recorded
Old English 'ceorl' — first recorded date per Etymonline and Merriam-Webster ('before the 12th century'); work not named.
Also spelled: cherl, ceorl (Old English)
In its own time
The Miller is a cherl, ye knowe wel this;
Today
Modern exampleOnly a churl would refuse to hold the door for someone carrying three boxes.
Fine to use — still a living (if literary) word for a rude or grudging person; its adjective 'churlish' is common.
Rooted in class contempt — it once simply meant 'peasant'.
Questions
What does churl mean?
In Old English a 'ceorl' was simply a free man of the lowest rank, a peasant. By 1300 it meant a bondman or a fellow of low birth or rude manners, and today it means a rude, surly or stingy person.
When was churl first used?
It is first recorded Old English (before 1100); 'rude fellow' sense by 1300 — Old English 'ceorl' — first recorded date per Etymonline and Merriam-Webster ('before the 12th century'); work not named.
Can you still use churl today?
Fine to use — still a living (if literary) word for a rude or grudging person; its adjective 'churlish' is common.
Sources
- churl — Etymonline (Online Etymology Dictionary)
- churl — Merriam-Webster
- churl — Wiktionary
- Chaucer's Works, vol. 4: The Canterbury Tales (ed. Skeat) — Project Gutenberg
Checked 2026-09-30 · verdict: attested — found in the dictionaries and texts listed above