churlish

English

WOTD – 19 October 2007

Etymology

From Middle English churlysshe, cherlissh, from late Old English ċeorlisċ, ċierlisċ (“of or pertaining to churls”), equivalent to churl +‎ -ish.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈtʃɜːlɪʃ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃɝːlɪʃ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)lɪʃ

Adjective

churlish (comparative more churlish, superlative most churlish)

1. Of or pertaining to a serf, peasant, or rustic.
   • 1996, Jeet Heer, Gravitas, Autumn 1996

     […] the eloquence and truth of his tribute stands in marked contrast to Kramer's churlish caricature of Kael as a happy pig wallowing in the dirt.

   Synonym: rustic

2. Rude, surly, ungracious. [from late 14th c.]

   Synonyms: cross-grained, rude, surly, ungracious

   • 1605, Francis Bacon, “The First Booke”, in The Twoo Bookes of Francis Bacon. Of the Proficience and Aduancement of Learning, Diuine and Humane, London: […] [Thomas Purfoot and Thomas Creede] for Henrie Tomes, […], →OCLC, folio 11, recto:

     [A]nd it is without all controuerſie, that learning doth make the minds of men gentle, generous, maniable, and pliant to gouernment; whereas Ignorance makes them churlish[,] thwart, and mutinous; […]

   • 2021 May 25, Linsey McGoey, “Why Billionaires Like Bill Gates Can’t Fix the Problems They Helped Create”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN:

     Especially in the post-2008 recession, the need for charity was more pronounced than ever, and so it seemed churlish, even Scrooge-like, to question whether the Gateses really knew as much about solving the world’s problems as they claimed.

3. Stingy or grudging.

   Synonyms: grudging, illiberal, miserly, niggardly, stingy

4. (of soil) Difficult to till, lacking pliancy; unmanageable.
   • 1730–1774, Oliver Goldsmith, Introductory to Switzerland

     Where the bleak Swiss their stormy mansion tread,

     And force a churlish soil for scanty bread.

Related terms

• churl
• churldom
• churled
• churlhood
• churlishly
• churlishness

 

Translations

of or pertaining to a serf

• Dutch: slaafs (nl)
• Norwegian: bondsk
• Russian: мужицкий (ru) (mužickij)
• Spanish: paleto, rústico (es), bruto (es)

rude or surly

• Armenian: բռի (hy) (bṙi), անտաշ (hy) (antaš)
• Bulgarian: груб (bg) (grub)
• Czech: neurvalý, hulvátský (cs), neotesaný, buranský
• Dutch: grof (nl), onvriendelijk (nl)
• Finnish: moukkamainen (fi), karkea (fi), epähieno (fi)
• German: ungehobelt (de), unfreundlich (de), mürrisch (de), griesgrämig (de)
• Greek: αγροίκος (el) (agroíkos)
• Hungarian: goromba (hu), neveletlen (hu), faragatlan (hu)
• Irish: bodúil
• Italian: villano (it)
• Korean: 야비한 (yabihan)
• Maori: toukeke, houkeke, hōkeke
• Norwegian: gretten (no)
• Portuguese: rústico (pt), grosseiro (pt)
• Romanian: ursuz (ro)
• Russian: гру́бый (ru) (grúbyj)
• Spanish: poco afable, maleducado (es), grosero (es)

stingy or grudging

• Bulgarian: скъпернически (bg) (skǎperničeski)
• Dutch: grommend (nl), weerbarstig (nl)
• German: knauserig (de), widerwillig (de)
• Russian: скупо́й (ru) m (skupój)

(of soil) difficult to till, lacking pliancy; unmanageable

• Russian: труднообраба́тываемая по́чва f (trudnoobrabátyvajemaja póčva)