Churl facts for kids

A churl was a word used a long time ago, especially in Old English (Anglo-Saxon) times. At first, it simply meant "a man" or "a free man." But soon, it started to mean "a free peasant" – someone who worked on the land but wasn't a slave. They were the lowest rank of free people.

Over time, the meaning of "churl" changed. It came to mean a "common person," someone who was not part of the nobility or royalty. By the 15th century, the word began to sound negative. It meant "a country person" and then "a low fellow." Later, in the 19th century, it took on an even more negative meaning: someone who acts rude or impolite. This is where we get the word "churlish" from today.

Life of a Churl in Anglo-Saxon England

In Anglo-Saxon times, the people called ċeorles lived in a mostly free society. They were mainly loyal to their king. Their lower social status was shown by their werġild, which was a "man-price." This was the amount of money paid if someone was killed or injured. In much of England, a churl's werġild was 200 shillings. This was much less than the werġild of a theġn, who was a noble or a warrior.

Farming was often done together in communities using open-field systems. Over time, the freedom of the ċeorles slowly decreased. This happened as feudal lords and the manorial system grew more powerful. In this system, people worked for a lord in exchange for land and protection. Some historians believe that even before the manorial system, ċeorles often owed services or payments to local lords.

Where the Word Comes From

The word "churl" has roots in other old languages too. In Scandinavian languages, the word Karl has the same origin and also meant "free man." This word even came back to England as "housecarl," which was a type of soldier.

In German, the word Kerl is used to describe a somewhat rough or common man. It's not used for a common soldier anymore. An old poem called Rígsþula from the Poetic Edda tells a story about how different social classes began. It talks about three sons of a god named Ríg: Thrall (a slave), Karl (a free man), and Earl (a noble). This story shows how people in ancient societies thought about different social groups.

Churl in Place Names and Other Names

You can often find words related to churl in place names, especially in English-speaking countries. Towns like Carlton and Charlton mean "the farmstead of the churls."

Even names like Carl and Charles come from the same ancient word root as churl. While the word churl became less important and even negative, names like "Karl" (German), "Charles" (French and English), and "Carlos" (Spanish) remained popular and important. Many European royal families used these names. This was partly because of the famous Charlemagne, a powerful emperor, and other important kings and emperors who shared the name. The Polish word for "king," Król, also comes from this same origin.

Current Use of the Word

In English, the word "churl" is not used much today, except to describe someone rude or ill-mannered (churlish). However, in most other Germanic languages, words related to "churl" never took on this negative meaning of "lowly peasant." Instead, they still mean something like "fellow" or "guy." For example, you might hear keardel in Frisian, kerel in Dutch, or karl in Swedish.

See also

• Carlin stone
• Ceorl (disambiguation)