Cockaigne, Cockayne
(kəˈkeɪn)
Forms: 4 Cokaygn(e, 7 Cocquany, 9 Cockaigne, -ayne.
[ME. cokaygne, a. OF. coquaigne, cokaigne, mod.F. cocagne, appearing in Sp. as cucaña, It. cuccagna, in Florio cocagna, cucagna, ‘lubberland’.
The Romanic word must have originated in some fabulous geographical notion. Its derivation has been much discussed, but remains obscure: see Diez and Littré. Grimm suggested connexion with Ger. kuchen cake, ‘because the houses there were covered with cakes’; cf. quot. 1305. Diez would connect it with Romanic words meaning ‘cake’, or with some derivative of L. coquere to cook, in which Littré and Scheler agree. OF. trouver cocaigne is ‘to find the country where good things drop of themselves into the mouth’, to meet with good fortune.]
1. Name of an imaginary country, the abode of luxury and idleness.
| c 1305 Land Cokayne 2 (Philol. Soc. 1862) Fur in see bi west spayngne Is a lond ihote cokaygne..Þoȝ paradis be miri and briȝt Cokaygn is of fairir siȝt. Ibid. 54 All of pasteiis beþ þe walles, Of fleis, of fisse, and ruh met, þe likfullist þat man mai et; Fluren cakes beþ þe scingles alle, Of cherche, cloister, boure, and halle; Þe pinnes beþ fat podinges. 1677 Hobbes Dial. Com. Laws 24 All the Contentments and ease which some pleasant Men have Related of the Land of Cocquany. 1857 Kingsley Two Y. Ago III. 137 Infinite railroads and crystal palaces, peace and plenty, cockaigne and dillettantism. 1862 Gen. P. Thompson in Bradford Advertiser 15 Mar. 6/1 Many things..could have been mended if it had been in that land of Cockaigne where everything is allowed to be done twice over. |
2. Humorously applied to London, as the country of Cockneys; Cockneydom.
| 1824 Hist. Gaming 48 At the high-flying Hells, in the Western parts of Cockaigne. 1842 Tait's Mag. IX. 244/2 We are bound..to do justice to the Laureate of Cockaigne. 1881 Athenæum 30 July 152/1 The writer is evidently a Cockney, accustomed to the ways and feeling of Cockaigne. |
Hence coˈckaigner = Cockney. (rare.)
| 1842 Tait's Mag. IX. 239 That unfortunate cockaigner Johnny Keats. |