Online Etymology Dictionary

chalice: early 14c., from Anglo-Fr. chalice, from O.Fr. chalice, collateral form of calice (Mod.Fr. calice), from L. calicem (nom. calix) "cup," cognate with Gk. kylix "cup, drinking cup," from PIE base *kal- "cup." Ousted O.E. cognate cælic, an ecclesiastical borrowing of the Latin word.
chalk: O.E. cealc "chalk, lime, plaster, pebble," a W.Gmc. borrowing from L. calx (2) "limestone, lime (crushed limestone), small stone," from Gk. khalix "small pebble," which many trace to a PIE root for "split, break up." In most Germanic languages still with the "limestone" sense, but in English transferred to the opaque, white, soft limestone found abundantly in the south of the island. Modern spelling is from early 14c.
chalkboard: from chalk + board.
challah: from Yiddish khale, from Hebrew chala "loaf of bread."
challenge (n.): late 13c., from O.Fr. chalonge "calumny, slander;" in legal use, "accusation, claim, dispute," from V.L. calumniare "to accuse falsely," from L. calumnia "trickery" (see calumny). Accusatory connotations died out 17c. Meaning "a calling to fight" is from 1520s. Challenged as a euphemism for "disabled" dates from 1985. The verb is recorded from c.1200, from O.Fr. chalengier, from L. calumniari, from calumnia.
challenger: mid-14c., Anglo-Fr. chalengeour, agent noun from challenge. Specific sense of "one who calls out another in a contest" is from 1510s.
challis: type of fabric for ladies' dresses, 1849, of unknown origin, perhaps from the surname.
chamber: early 13c., from O.Fr. chambre "room, chamber" (11c.), from L.L. camera "a chamber, room" (see camera).
chamber music: 1789, from chamber + music. Music to be performed in private rooms instead of public halls.
chamber-pot: also chamberpot, 1560s, from chamber + pot (1).
chamberlain: early 13c., from O.Fr. chamberlenc "chamberlain, steward, treasurer" (Mod.Fr. chambellan), from a Germanic source (perhaps Frankish *kamerling; cf. O.H.G. chamarling, Ger. Kämmerling), from L. camera "chamber, room" (see camera) + dim. suffix -ling.
chambermaid: 1580s, from chamber + maid.
chambray: 1814, Amer.Eng., alteration of Cambrai, city in France (formerly Flanders) where the cloth originally was made. Cf. cambric.
chameleon: mid-14c., from O.Fr. chaméléon, from L. chamaeleon, from Gk. khamaileon "the chameleon," from khamai "on the ground" (also "dwarf"), akin to chthon "earth" (see chthonic) + leon "lion" (see lion). Figurative sense of "variable person" is 1580s. It was formerly supposed to live on air (cf. "Hamlet" III.ii.98).
chamfer: c.1600, "small groove cut in wood or stone," from M.Fr. chanfraindre (Mod.Fr. chanfreiner), pp. of chanfraint, second element from L. frangere "to break" (see fraction); perhaps the whole word is cantum frangere "to break the edge." Meaning "bevelled surface of a square edge or corner" is attested from c.1840, of uncertain connection to the other sense.
chamfered: late 16c., "channelled, fluted," from the verb form of chamfer (q.v.). Meaning "bevelled off" is from c.1790.
chamois: 1550s, "soft leather," originally "skin of the chamois," from M.Fr. chamois "Alpine antelope" (14c.), from L.L. camox (gen. camocis), perhaps from a pre-Latin Alpine language.
chamomile: obs. form of camomile.
Chamorro: indigenous people of Guam and the Marianas Islands, from Sp. Chamorro, lit. "shorn, shaven, bald." Supposedly because the men shaved their heads, but the name also has been connected to native Chamoru, said to mean "noble," so perhaps Chamorro is a Sp. folk etymology.
champ (n.): 1868, Amer.Eng. abbreviation of champion (q.v.).
champ (v.): "to chew noisily," 1520s, probably echoic. Earlier also cham. Related: Champed; champing. As a noun, attested from c.1600.
champagne: 1660s, from Fr. vin de Champagne, from Champagne, former province in n.w. France, lit. "open country" (see campaign). Originally any wine from this region, focused to modern meaning late 18c.
champaign: "open country, plain," c.1400, from O.Fr. champagne "country, countryside," from L. campania "plain, level country," especially that near Rome (see campaign).
champertous: 1640s, from champart, from Fr. champart "portion of produce received by a feudal lord from land held in lease from him" (13c.), from O.N.Fr. campart-, probably from L. campi pars "part of the field." In later use often with reference to champerty, the illegal act whereby a person makes a bargain to maintain a litigant in return for a share of the gains if the case succeeds.
champion: early 13c., from O.Fr. champion "combatant, champion in single combat" (12c.), from L.L. campionem (nom. campio) "gladiator, fighter, combatant in the field," from L. campus "field (of combat);" see campus. Had been borrowed earlier by O.E. as cempa. The verb meaning "to fight for, defend, protect" is from 1820. Related: Championed; championing.
championship: 1825, "position of a champion," from champion + -ship. Meaning "competition to determine a champion" is recorded from 1893.
chance: c.1300, "something that takes place," from O.Fr. cheance "accident, chance, fortune, luck, situation, the falling of dice" (12c., Mod.Fr. chance), from V.L. cadentia "that which falls out," from neut. pl. of L. cadens, prp. of cadere "to fall" (see case (1)). The word's notions of "opportunity" and "randomness" are equally old in English. The verb meaning "to risk" is from 1859. Related: Chanced; chancing.
chancel: c.1300, from O.Fr. chancel, from L.L. cancellus "lattice," from L. cancelli (pl.) "grating, bars" (see cancel); so called for the lattice-work that separated the chancel from the nave in a church.
chancellor: early 12c. (a variant form existed in O.E.), from O.Fr. chancelier (12c.), from L.L. cancellarius "keeper of the barrier, secretary, usher of a law court," so called because he worked behind a lattice at a basilica or law court (see chancel). In the Roman Empire, a sort of court usher; the post gradually gained importance in the Western kingdoms.
chancery: late 14c., "court of the Lord Chancellor of England," contracted from chancellery (c.1300), from O.Fr. chancelerie (12c.), from M.L. cancellaria (see chancellor). In England, the highest court of judicature next to the House of Lords until the act of 1873.
chancre: c.1600, "venereal ulcer," from Fr. chancre (15c.), lit. "cancer," from L. cancer (see cancer).
chancy: 1510s, "lucky," from chance + -y (2). Meaning "uncertain, subject to risk" is recorded from 1860.
chandelier: late 14c., chaundeler "candlestick, chandelier," from O.Fr. chandelier (1), 12c., earlier chandelabre "candlestick, candelabrum" (10c.), from L. candelabrum, from candela "candle" (see candle). Re-spelled c.1736 in French fashion; during 17c. the French spelling referred to a military device.
chandler: "maker or seller of candles," attested as a surname from late 13c. (also, from early 14c. "candle-holder;" see chandelier), from O.Fr. chandelier (2) "candle-maker, candle-seller; person in charge of lighting a household, monastery, etc.," from L. candelarius, from candela "candle" (see candle). Native candleman is attested from mid-13c.
chandlery: c.1600, from O.Fr. chandelerie, from chandelier (see chandler).
Chanel: Paris fashion house, founded by Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel (1883-1971), Fr. fashion designer and perfumer, who opened her first shop in 1909. The perfume Chanel No. 5 debuted in 1921.
change (v.): early 13c., from O.Fr. changier "to change, alter," from L.L. cambiare "to barter, exchange," from L. cambire "to exchange, barter," of Celtic origin, from PIE base *kamb- "to bend, crook" (with a sense evolution perhaps from "to turn" to "to change," to "to barter"). Related: Changed; changing. The noun is attested from c.1200, from O.Fr. change. The financial sense of "balance returned when something is paid for" is first recorded 1620s. Phrase change of heart is from 1828.
changeable: mid-13c., from Fr. changeable, from changier (see change).
changeling: 1550s, "one given to change," from change + dim. suffix -ling. Meaning "person or thing left in place of one secretly taken" is from 1560s; specific reference to an infant or young child (usually stupid or ugly) supposedly left by the faeries in place of one they took is from 1580s. An earlier word for it was oaf or auf.
channel: c.1300, "bed of running water," from O.Fr. chanel "channel, tube, pipe, gutter," from L. canalis "groove, channel, waterpipe" (see canal). Given a broader, figurative sense and a verbal meaning 1590s. Related: Channeled; channeling. Meaning "circuit for telegraph communication" (1848) probably led to that of "band of frequency for radio or TV signals" (1928).
chant (v.): late 14c., from O.Fr. chanter "to sing, celebrate" (12c.), from L. cantare, frequentative of canere "sing," from PIE base *kan- "to sing" (cf. Gk. eikanos "cock," O.E. hana "cock," both lit. "bird who sings for sunrise;" O.Ir. caniaid "sings," Welsh canu "sing"). The frequentative quality of the word was no longer felt in Latin, and by the time French emerged the word had entirely displaced canere. Related: Chanted; chanting. The noun is recorded from 1670s, from Fr., from L. cantus, from pp. stem of canere.
chanteuse: "female singer of popular songs," 1888, from Fr. chanteuse (16c.), fem. agent noun of chanter "to sing" (see chant). In O.Fr., the word was chanteresse.
chanticleer: c.1300, from O.Fr. chante-cler "sing-loud" (Mod.Fr. Chanteclair), name of the cock in medieval stories of Reynard the Fox; from chanter (see chant) + cler (see clear).
Chantilly: town in France near Paris; as a kind of porcelain made there, 1774; in reference to a delicate lace originally made there, 1831. The place name is M.L. Chantileium, from the Gallo-Roman personal name Cantilius.
chanty: 1856, also shanty, probably an alteration of Fr. chanter "to sing" (see chant).
Chanukah: 1891, from Heb. hanukkah "consecration."
chaos: mid-15c., "gaping void," from L. chaos, from Gk. khaos "abyss, that which gapes wide open, is vast and empty," from *khnwos, from PIE base *gheu-, *gh(e)i- "to gape" (cf. Gk khaino "I yawn," O.E. ginian, O.N. ginnunga-gap; see yawn). Meaning "utter confusion" (c.1600) is extended from theological use of chaos for "the void at the beginning of creation" in Vulgate version of Genesis. The Gk. for "disorder" was tarakhe, however the use of chaos here was rooted in Hesiod ("Theogony"), who describes khaos as the primeval emptiness of the Universe, begetter of Erebus and Nyx ("Night"), and in Ovid ("Metamorphoses"), who opposes Khaos to Kosmos, "the ordered Universe." Chaos theory in the modern mathematical sense is attested from c.1977.
chaotic: 1713, "in a state of primordial chaos," irregularly formed in English from chaos + -ic, probably on model of eros/erotic, hypnos/hypnotic, etc. Transferred or figurative meaning "confused, disordered" is from 1747.
chap (n.): 1570s, "customer," short for obsolete chapman (see cheap). Colloquial sense of "lad, fellow" is first attested 1716 (cf. slang tough customer).
chap (v.): "to crack," early 15c., chappen, variant of choppen (see chop). Related: Chapped; chapping. The noun meaning "fissure in the skin" is from late 14c.