chivalry

English

Alternative forms

• chyvalry (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English chivalerie, a late 13th century loan from Old French chevalerie (“knighthood, chivalry, nobility, cavalry”) (11th century), the -erie (“-ery”) abstract of chevaler (“knight, horseman”), from Medieval Latin caballarius (“horseman, knight”), from caballus (“horse”). Medieval Latin caballaria (“knighthood, status or fief of a knight”) dates to the 12th century. Doublet of cavalry.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃɪvəlɹi/, (archaic) /ˈt͡ʃɪvəlɹi/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Noun

chivalry (usually uncountable, plural chivalries)

1. (now rare, historical) Cavalry; horsemen armed for battle.
   • 1999, George R.R. Martin, A Clash of Kings, Bantam, published 2011, page 529:

     ‘Most of the lords who rode with Lord Renly to Storm's End have gone over banner-and-blade to Stannis, with all their chivalry.’

2. (obsolete) The fact or condition of being a knight; knightly skill, prowess.
3. The ethical code of the knight prevalent in Medieval Europe, having such primary virtues as mercy towards the poor and oppressed, humility, honour, sacrifice, fear of God, faithfulness, courage and courtesy to ladies.
4. Courtesy, respect and honourable conduct between opponents in wartime.
5. Courteous behaviour, especially that of men towards women.
6. (UK, law, historical) A tenure of lands by knightly service.

Related terms

• cavalier
• chevalier
• chivalresque
• chivalrous

Translations

ethical code

• Arabic: مُرُوءَة (ar) f (murūʔa)
• Belarusian: ры́царства n (rýcarstva)
• Bulgarian: ри́царство n (rícarstvo)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 騎士精神／骑士精神 (zh) (qíshì qìgài)

• Czech: rytířství (cs) n
• Dutch: ridderschap (nl)
• Esperanto: kavalireco
• Finnish: ritarillisuus (fi)
• French: chevalerie (fr) f
• Georgian: რაინდობა (raindoba), ვაჟკაცობა (važḳacoba)
• German: Ritterlichkeit (de) f, Rittertum
• Greek: ιπποσύνη (el) f (ipposýni)
• Hungarian: lovagiasság (hu)
• Indonesian: kepahlawanan (id)
• Irish: ridireacht f
• Italian: cavalleria (it) f
• Japanese: 騎士道 (ja) (きしどう, kishidō)
• Korean: 기사도(騎士道) (ko) (gisado)
• Macedonian: витештво n (viteštvo), рицарство n (ricarstvo)
• Middle English: curteisie, chivalerie
• Polish: rycerskość (pl) f
• Portuguese: cavalaria (pt) f, cavalaria (pt) f
• Romanian: cavalerie (ro) f
• Russian: ры́царство (ru) n (rýcarstvo)
• Scottish Gaelic: ridireachd f
• Spanish: caballerosidad (es) f
• Ukrainian: ли́царство n (lýcarstvo)

Courteous behavior, especially that of men towards women

• Bulgarian: гала́нтност (bg) f (galántnost), кавале́рство (bg) n (kavalérstvo)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 義俠／义侠 (zh) (yìxiá)

• Czech: galantnost f
• Dutch: ridderlijkheid (nl) f, hoofsheid (nl) f, galanterie (nl) f
• Estonian: rüütellikkus
• Finnish: ritarillisuus (fi)
• French: galanterie (fr) f
• Greek: ιπποτισμός (el) m (ippotismós), ευγένεια (el) f (evgéneia)
• Hungarian: lovagiasság (hu), önzetlenség (hu), udvariasság (hu)
• Italian: cavalleria (it) f
• Japanese: 義侠心 (ja) (ぎきょうしん, gikyō-shin)
• Macedonian: кавале́рство n (kavalérstvo), гала́нтност f (galántnost)
• Polish: rycerskość (pl) f
• Portuguese: cavalheirismo m
• Romanian: cavalerism (ro) n, galanterie (ro) f
• Russian: гала́нтность (ru) f (galántnostʹ)
• Spanish: caballerosidad (es)

See also

• bushido
• xiá

Middle English

Noun

chivalry

1. Alternative form of chivalerie