What does Middle English “cheping” mean?
Mt.11:16
“But to whom schal Y gesse this generacioun lijk? It is lijk to children sittynge in chepyng, that crien to her peeris”
King James Bible:
“…But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows…”
Answer
A cheaping is a place where goods are bought and sold. Market is a direct translation. The Middle English Dictionary has it under “chepinge”:
2 (a) A market or market place (in a city)
And here’s an example from the Wycliffe Bible, as listed under the entry:
(c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Deeds 16.19 : The lordis..Poul and Silas ledden into cheping [L in forum] or dom place.
The root word is chep (from Old English cēap), a noun that has to do with buying or selling goods. That’s where we get the adjective cheap with its meaning of a good bargain.
Attribution
Source : Link , Question Author : Anatoliy Sydorov , Answer Author : TaliesinMerlin
