Middle English Dictionary Entry
chaf n.
Entry Info
| Forms | chaf n. Also (N) caf(f, kaf(f, (SE & SW) chef & (infl.) chā̆ve, chē̆ve & (error) charfe; pl. chaffis (rendering L paleās). |
| Etymology |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The refuse of grain, i.e. the straw, the ears, and the husks; chopped straw used as fodder, bedding or stuffing, or in making bricks; (b) barli ~, bene ~, ote ~, whete ~, barley straw, etc.; (c) ~ cote, ~ hous, ~ place, a building or shed for storing straw.
Associated quotations
a
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)2889 : Hem-seluen he fetchden ðe chaf ðe men ðor hem to gode gaf, And ðog holden ðe tigeles tale.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)210/30 : Zuych difference ase þer is be-tuene þe cheue and þe corn.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Is.65.25 : The leoun and the oxe shuln ete chaf [WB(2): stree].
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.85 : Thogh it be noght the houndes kinde To ete chaf, yit wol he werne An Oxe..Therof to taken eny fode.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Gen.24.25 : Of chaf [WB(2): prouendre; L palearum] forsothe and of hey.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Ex.5.7 : No more ȝe shal ȝyue chaf [WB(2): stre; L paleas] to the puple, that tiles ben maad.
- a1425(c1384) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Ezek.13.10 : He bildide a wal, forsothe thei dawbeden..it with fen with outen chaffis [L paleis].
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)3148 : Als fyre þat caffe son may bryn [etc.].
- (1429) J.Boys in Nrf.Archaeol.15148 : j lod of schaf and iiij combe of malt.
- 1447 Bokenham Sts.(Arun 327)46 : Who is so nyce that wil good corn Awey caste for it growyth in chaf?
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)802 : Sakkes myd chaf.
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)68/3 : A man pore in money and ryche in conscience slepez more sykyrly in strawe or in chaffe than the ryche man of worldly gudes in purpil.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)56 : Prelats..are statuit ymagis ful of kaff, wiþ a bow to sley þe fowlis.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)20b : Caffe: Acus, palea, folliculus, paleola, teca.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)233/36 : When a man lyeth in his laste sekenys..he oweþ to be layde downe a-pon the erþe vpon askys or apon caffe, in ensample that askes he is and to askes he schal turne.
b
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)21113 : Þai haue his bodi flaine & waltered him in barli chaf.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)4.110 : Too basket ful of bene chaf dooth boote..to grettest treen.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)9b : Barly caffe.
- a1500 Henley Husb.(Sln 686)52 : Let your provynder be medled with whete chafe or ote chaffe but not with barle chafe, for þat hurtithe þem [catell] in þe mowthe.
c
- (1305) Doc.Manor in MP 3441 : Chafcote.
- (1350) in Löfvenberg Contrib.Lex.92 : Le Chaf hous.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)47a/a : Paleare: shaf place.
- a1425 Roy.17.C.17 Nominale (Roy 17.C.17)670/25 : Hoc palare: chafhouse.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)20b : A caffe house: paleare, palearium.
2.
(a) The husks of grain, chaff; ~ bran; smal-chaf, chaff; (b) aker ~, acorn shells.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)1483 : & siþþenn winndwesst tu þin corn & fra þe chaff itt shædesst.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)85 : Þet smal chef þet flid ford mid þe winde..God almihtin iscilde us þet we ne bo noht of þe smalcheue.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)29256 : Þer biforen he gon ȝeoten draf and chaf and aten..and sparewen þerto liht.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)62/23 : Þe lyeȝere is amang þe men..ase þet chef amang þe corn.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)330b/b : In a syue corne is y clensed of stones and of smal chaffe.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)331b/a : Coddes, hulkes, oþer smal chaf.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)47a/a : Palea: smal shafe.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)137a/b : Mollifiede wiþ þe vapourynge of þe sethynge of barly chaffe [*Ch.(1): chaf ordei; L palee ordei].
- (1435) Misyn FL (Corp-O 236)18/6 : Þou seis at ons vnder þe flayll both corne & caff, bot in þe wyndouynge þe caff is oute cast.
- c1450 De CMulieribus (Add 10304)587 : When corn wass rype, this lady..Diuyded it through a small bultere From the paless and the charfe-bran.
- c1460 Oseney Reg.144/5 : I..schall make it to Be thresshe, and þe chaffe schall Abide togedur with þe strow to me.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)1263 : Whan men sowen greyn, The huske, the chaff..Mot fyrst be clene putt a-way.
b
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)65 : Make a garlande of aker chef.
3.
Refuse, leavings; smal ~.
Associated quotations
- ?a1300 Jacob & J.(Bod 652)330 : Ofte of þis smal chaf þis breþren brouȝten hom, & for wone of mete maden muche mon.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.317 : Þis Pharao..ȝaf hem nouȝt to mete but smal chaf [L paleas], for he wolde so ouercome hem..wiþ honger.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)4751 : Þe caf [other MSS: chaf] he cast o corn sumquile In þe flum þat hait þe nile.
- c1600(?c1395) PPl.Creed (Trin-C R.3.15)663 : And so þei chewen charitie as chewen schaf houndes.
4.
Fig. uses: (a) something trivial or worthless, a trifling matter; (b) something evil, such as temptation or sinning; (c) theol. human refuse; the sinful (who are burned in hell); also as a term of abuse.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.701 : Me list nat of the chaf ne of the stree Maken so long a tale as of the corn.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4633 : Taketh the fruyt and lat the chaf be stille.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)prol.844 : The chaf is take for the corn.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)prol.151 : Troye Boke..wher was remembrid..Of the dede of the verreie trewe corn, So as it fil seuerid from the chaf [rime: staf].
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)55 : Voyding the Chaf..Enlumynyng þe trewe piked greyn.
- a1450(1401) For drede (Dgb 102)47 : Þe whete fro þe chaf ȝe tryȝe, So mowe ȝe leue in reste and pes.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)75 : Wil þey calle þe lawe þat he ȝaf kafe, as vnprofitable?
b
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)74a : Wittes skile þet ah to..puffen eauer awei þe deofles chef [L paleam diaboli], þet nis noht bute to helle smorðre.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)137/28 : [The meek one] yziȝþ more ynoȝ of chef þanne of corn.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)495/23 : Sho lenyd down hur mowthe vnto his..he spak..'Go away fro me, womman, ffor yit þer is a sparke of lyfe in me..remefe away þe caff, at it burn not.''
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)1278 : Thogh thy fadyrs were..Off ther orygynal trespace purgyd clene..The caff and the strowh abyt..Off the synne orygynal.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)73 : Bi sciens of canoun holy writ is blasfemid..it were nede, þis sciens as kaf..to be clensid out of þe chirche.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)34.21 com. : In caf [vr. chaffe] that is light to fle with the wynd in til syn, na louynge is.
c
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)1528 : Itt iss þatt illke chaff þatt helle fir shall bærnenn.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)71/776 : Hwen drihten o domes dei windweð his hweate ant [weopð] þet dusti chef to kellene heate.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)140/1 : Oure lhord ssel uanni his corn ate daye of dome..and..þrawe þet chef in-to þe uere.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mat.3.12 : He..shal gedre his corne in to his berne; but chaffis [WB(2): chaffe; L paleas] he shal brenne with fyr unquenchable.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)25248 : Corn sal fra þe caf [Frf: chaf] be clene, Þe gode sal fra þe wic be draun.
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)6/21 : & þou lyue contrarie to Crist, þou arte but chaff.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1064 : Þe fende haue thi saule!..Caffe of creatours all, thow curssede wriche!
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)54 : If þu luf synnis..þu art caff.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)75 : Þei are raþer chaffe of wilk þe gospel seiþ, 'I schal brenne þe chaffe wiþ fire'.
- c1475 Mankind (Folg V.a.354)43 : At þe last Iugement..The corn xall be sauyde, þe chaffe xall be brente.
5.
chaf of camel, a plant [see cameles ~]; ~ of the se, a sea-weed of some kind.
Associated quotations
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)179a/a : Squinantum is chaf of camelez [*Ch.(2): camelys chaffe; L palea camelorum] ca & sic & stiptik with temperament.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)45b/a : Take of..see spounge and palea marina i. chaf of þe see..brenne þe spounge and þe chaff.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 Add.37075 Gloss (Add 37075)31/149a : Palea: schaffe.
Note: New form: Also..schaffe.
Note: Quot. belongs to sense 1.(a).
Note: This quot. has been taken back to books.
- a1425 Dial.Reason & A.(Cmb Ii.6.39)9/9 : Depertiþ not þe fleil þe corn fro þe schaf?
Note: Additional quot. for sense 1.(a).
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section is incomplete and needs revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED.--notes per MLL