"C" Word Origins

chalant

Origin

A back-formation from nonchalant, itself from Old French non- + chalant (“concerning, bothering”). By this process, the original Old French participle was coincidentally re-formed.

chaldean

Origin

From Latin chaldaeus [from Ancient Greek Χαλδαῖος (Khaldaîos)] + -an.

chaldee

Origin

From Latin chaldaeus via Middle French Chaldee.

chalet

French

Borrowed from French chalet, originally a herdsman's hut in the mountains of the Franco-Provençal region.

chalice

Latin

From Old French chalice, from Latin calix ("cup") — a distant relative of the word "calyx."

chalk

Latin

From Old English cealc, ultimately borrowed from Latin calx ("limestone"), from Greek khalix ("pebble").

chalkboard

Origin

A compound of "chalk" and "board."

chalky

Origin

From "chalk" plus the adjective-forming suffix "-y."

challenge

Latin

From Old French chalenge, ultimately from Latin calumnia ("false accusation") — a doublet of the word "calumny."

challengeable

Origin

From Middle English chalengeable; equivalent to challenge + -able.

challenger

Old French

From Middle English chalengere, from Old French chalenger ("to challenge").

challenging

Origin

From the verb "challenge" plus the suffix "-ing."

cham

Origin

The chewing sense is a variant of "chap"; the ethnic-group sense comes from the name of the Cham people and the former kingdom of Champa.

chamber

Latin

From Old French chambre, from Latin camera ("vaulted chamber") — a doublet of "camera."

chamberer

Origin

From Middle English chamberere, chamberer, from Old French chamberiere, feminine of chamberier; ultimately from Latin cambra (“room”). By surface analysis, chamber + -er.

chamberlain

Old French

From Old French chamberlenc, ultimately from a Frankish word meaning "chamber" plus a suffix denoting an associated role.

chambermaid

Origin

From chamber ("room") + maid — literally a maid who looks after a bedroom.

chambermate

Origin

From chamber + -mate.

chameleon

Greek

From Greek khamaileon, literally "ground lion" (khamai, "on the ground" + leon, "lion") — an ancient name for the low-crawling reptile.

chamfer

Origin

Back-formation from chamfering, from Middle French chanfrain, from Middle French, Old French chanfraindre, possibly a compound of chant (“corner”), from Latin canthus (of either Celtic or Latin origin) + fraindre (“to break”), from frangō (“to break”).

chamois

French

From French chamois, originally the name of a small goat-antelope found in the Alps, whose soft hide was used to make the cloth.

champ

Middle English

From Middle English champen, chammen (“to bite; gnash the teeth”), perhaps originally imitative.

Champa

Origin

Borrowed from Vietnamese Chăm Pa.

Champagne

Origin

Named after Champagne, the historic region of northeastern France where the wine originated.

champaign

Origin

From Old French champaigne, from Late Latin campānia.

champerty

Origin

From Middle English champartie, from Middle French champart (“field rent (portion of produce of field paid to feudal lord)”), probably from Latin campī (“fields”) + pars (“part”).

champion

Medieval Latin

From Old French champion, from Medieval Latin campio ("combatant in single combat"), ultimately from Latin campus ("field," as in a battlefield).

championship

Origin

From champion + the suffix -ship (denoting a state, status, or office).

chan

Sanskrit

The internet sense is a clipping of "channel." The Buddhist sense comes from Chinese chán, itself borrowed from Sanskrit dhyāna ("meditation").

chance

Vulgar Latin

From Old French cheance ("luck, accident"), from Vulgar Latin cadentia ("a falling"), from Latin cadere ("to fall" or "to happen") — the same root behind "cadence."

chanceable

Origin

From chance + -able.

chancel

Origin

From Old French chancel. Doublet of cancellus.

chancellery

Late Latin

From Old French chancelerie, from Late Latin cancellaria — a doublet of "chancery," from the same root.

chancery

Latin

From Old French chancellerie, ultimately from Latin cancelli ("lattice, bars") — the same root as "chancel," referring to the barred area separating officials from the public in early courts.

chancy

Origin

From chance + -y.

Chand

Hindi

Borrowed from Hindi चंद (cand), "moon."

Chanda

Origin

Borrowed from Hindi चाँदा (cā̃dā).

chandelier

Latin

From French chandelier, ultimately from Latin candela ("candle") — chandeliers were originally frames for holding multiple candles.

Chandi

Hindi

Borrowed from Hindi चंडी (caṇḍī).

Chandigarh

Origin

A compound of Chandi, referring to the goddess Chandi, and garh, "fort."

chandler

Latin

From Old French chandelier ("candle-maker"), from Latin candela ("candle").

chandlery

Origin

From Middle French chandelerie, from chandelier (“chandler”). Equivalent to candle + -ery.

Chandni

Sanskrit

Borrowed from Sanskrit चाँदनी (cā̃danī).

Chandra

Sanskrit

Borrowed from Sanskrit चन्द्र (candrá, "moon").

chandu

Malay

Likely related to the Malay word candu, meaning opium.

Chanel

Origin

Named after its founder, Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel.

Chaney

Origin

A variant of Chesney.

chang

Persian

From Persian چنگ (chang).