ceafl

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *kafl (“jaw, cheek”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t͡ʃæ͜ɑfl/, [t͡ʃæ͜ɑvl]

Noun

ċeafl m

1. (anatomy) jaw; cheek
   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "The Twenty-First Sunday After Pentecost"

     Mīn hēafod hē hæfþ mid his ċeaflum befangen.

     It has seized my head in its jaws.

2. a bill; beak; snout

Declension

Strong a-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	ceafl	ceaflas
accusative	ceafl	ceaflas
genitive	ceafles	ceafla
dative	ceafle	ceaflum

Descendants

• Middle English: chavel, chevel, chaule, chawel, chavyl, chawil, chawyl, chavalle, chaul, chewil, chefle, chafle (Early Middle English), jawe, jawle (influenced by the syn. joue)
  • English: jowl, chavel
  • Scots: chowl, chow, chew
  • Yola: choule