charlock
(ˈtʃɑːlək)
Forms: 1 cerlic, 5–6 carlok(e, 6–7 carlock(e, charlok, 6–8 chadlock(e, 7 carloc, (9 cherlock), 6– charlock. See also cadlock, kedlock.
[OE. cerlic, cyrlic of unknown etymology, probably gave cherlock, charlock. The forms in car-, ker-, cur-, are not easy to account for phonetically, unless there was also an OE. type carloc, cearloc. For the forms chadlock, chedlock, cadlock, kedlock, (OE. cedelc), see kedlock. There appears no basis for the guess that the second syllable is léac, ‘leek’.]
Popular name of Sinapis arvensis or Field Mustard (family Cruciferæ); but applied also to other gregarious field-weeds of the same order. joint-podded charlock, Raphanus Raphanistrum.
| a 1000 Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 297 & 451 Mercurialis, cedelc, cyrlic. c 1000 Sax. Leechd. II. 102 Wiþ hatum omum, nim..cerlices sæd, drince on wine. c 1325 Gloss. in Rel. Ant. II. 80/2 Szerlok, caroil. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 62 Carlok, herbe, eruca. a 1450 Alphita (Anecd. Oxon.) 153 Rapistrum..anglice kennekel uel carlokes. 1562 Turner Herbal ii. (1568) 22 a, The herbe whiche we call in Englishe Carloke or charloke, or wild cole. 1598 Gerard Herbal ii. ii. §2. 179 Charlock or Chadlock. Ibid. 180 Called Charlock, Kedlock, and Carlock. 1611 Cotgr. s.v. Velar, Others improperly call the Rape Chadlocke or Charlocke. a 1617 Bayne On Eph. (1658) 7 Carloc is much higher than the Barly. 1645 Ward Serm. Ho. Comm. 31 Whatever seed is cast in, it returns nothing but carlock and such like raffe. 1776 Withering Bot. Arrangem. (1796) III. 82 The name Charlock, or as it is more commonly pronounced in the midland counties, Kedlock..is not confined to one plant only, but is indiscriminately applied to Sinapis nigra, Brassica Napus, Sinapis arvensis, and Raphanus Raphanistrum, as one or other of these abound more or less. 1862 Ld. Palmerston Sp. at Romsey 19 Dec., When a man walks over a field of turnips and sees it full of charlock, he must say there is room for some improvement. 1876 Whitby Gloss. (E.D.S.) 158 Runch, cherlock, chedlock, or Kedlock. [Still called curlick in Herts. by the farmers. T. Austin.] |