[f. CALL v. + -ING1.]
I. The action of the vb. CALL.
1. The action of emitting a loud voice; crying, shouting, proclamation. Applied also to particular cries of animals. Calling on or upon: invocation of.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1362. Þurȝ þe cuntre of Caldee his callyng con spryng.
c. 1340. Cursor M., 19095 (Trin.). Þe callyng on [v.r. on-call] his holy name.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, xxi. 77. What complayntes, callynges, and lamentacyons.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 38. By the inuocacyon and callyng on the name of Jesu.
1535. Coverdale, Ps. v. 1. Heare my wordes (o Lorde) considre my callynge.
1693. Urquhart, Rabelais, III. xiii. Bawling of mastiffs … calling of Partridges.
1864. Tennyson, Enoch Arden, 909. There came so loud a calling of the sea, That all the houses in the haven rang.
† 2. An addressing; greeting, invitation. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 11536. And thanked ioseph … O þair calling and herbergeri.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., II. 46. [He received] thame … With fair calling and hamelie cheresing.
3. The summoning of a person, a meeting.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 58. Callynge or clepynge to mete, invitacio. Ibid., Callynge or clepynge to-gedyr, convocacio.
1580. Baret, Alv., C 38. A calling or assembling togither, conuocatio.
1611. Bible, Numb. x. 2. The calling of the assembly.
1712. Prideaux, Direct. Ch.-wardens (ed. 4), 35. The calling of the said Meeting.
1848. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 278. The first object of the court of Versailles was therefore to prevent the calling of a Parliament and the reconciliation of the English parties.
b. The summoning or inviting to a spiritual office or to the pastorate of a church.
1578. 2nd Bk. Discipline, iii. Vocation or calling … is a lawful way, by the which qualified persons are promoted to any spiritual office within the Kirk.
1864. J. M. Duncan, Paroch. Eccl. Law Scotl., ii. 72. The presbytery by whose decision and authority the calling and entry of a particular ministry were effected.
† 4. Naming, denomination; an appellation or name. Obs.
c. 1460. J. Russell, Bk. Nurture, 772, in Babees Bk. (1868), 169. ‘Colericus’ by callynge.
1530. Palsgr., 202/2. Callyng, namyng, apellance.
1547. Homilies, I. Misery of Man., I. (1859), 17. This, our right name, calling, and title, Earth, Earth, Earth.
1563. T. Gale, Antidot., Pref. 2. The diuersitie that is vsed in callinge of simples.
1576. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 291. Persons also, had their callings … of some note of the body, as Swanshalse, for the whitenesse of her necke.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., I. ii. 245. I am … proud to be Sir Rolands sonne … and would not change that calling.
5. Loud vituperation, scolding (dial.). Calling (of) names: the applying of reviling names or epithets.
1687. T. Brown, Saints in Uproar, Wks. 1730, I. 72. There’s such calling of names and giving the lie.
1844. Dickens, Mar. Chuz., iv. Such a bandying of words and calling of names.
1863. Mrs. Toogood, Yorksh. Dial., He behaved badly, so I gave him a good calling.
1864. Atkinson, Whitby Gloss., Calling, a scolding.
1885. Nonconf. & Independent, 22 Oct., 1019. Caling names was not argument.
6. The attracting of animals by a particular ‘call’ or cry.
1775. R. Chandler, Trav. Greece (1825), II. 161. Calling is practised in still weather…. The caller applies two of his fingers to his lips, and sucking them … produces a squeaking sound.
1880. Ld. Dunraven, in 19th Cent., 641. Moose-calling … consists … in imitating the cry of the animal with a hollow cone made of birch bark, endeavouring by this means to call up a moose near enough to get a shot at him.
7. Driving. Sc.
c. 1550. Sir J. Balfour, Practicks, 356. In … calling of his cattel throuch landis pertenand to the defendar.
Mod. Sc. Cannie ca’ing.
8. With various advbs.: see CALL v.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 58. Callynge or clepynge a-ȝene, revocacio. Ibid. Callynge or clepynge yn to a place, invocacio.
1580. Hollyband, Treas. Fr. Tong, Rappel, a calling againe.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 316. The calling forth of the Spirits of the Body outward.
1813. Huskisson, in Examiner, 14 March, 166/2. The calling out the Local Militia was another item of expence, altogether unwarranted.
1857. Hughes, Tom Brown, v. The master … came down in cap and gown to calling-over.
1875. Whitney, Life Lang., xiv. 285. A calling, out of many of the higher powers.
II. Summons, call, vocation.
9. The summons, invitation or impulse of God to salvation or to his service; the inward feeling or conviction of a divine call; the strong impulse to any course of action as the right thing to do.
[1382. Wyclif, 1 Cor. i. 26. Se ȝe ȝoure clepinge, Britheren.]
1534. Tindale, ibid. Brethren, loke on youre callinge.
1535. Coverdale, Rom. i. 7. Sayntes by callynge.
a. 1586. Answ. Cartwright, 50. Our dumbe ministers haue as good a calling as the scribes … had.
1641. Milton, Ch. Govt., Wks. 1738, I. 41. The conscious warrant of some high Calling.
1648. Westm. Assembly’s Shorter Catech., Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit.
1811. Syd. Smith, Wks. (1859), I. 202/2. The doctrine of calling, or inward feeling, is quite orthodox in the English church.
1861. Flor. Nightingale, Nursing, 84. What is it to feel a calling for any thing?
Mod. The online publication of the full-text of the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary was as close to a calling as he would ever have.
† b. The state of grace and obedience into which the Christian is called; duty. (Here the notion was affected by the next.) Obs.
1604. Hieron, Wks., I. 482. The state and calling of a true Christian is a louely calling.
1644. Direct. Publ. Worship, 10. Callings towards God and men.
c. In reference to the Christian ministry there is often a mixture of the notions of the divine ‘call,’ the vocatio or call of the bishop, presbytery, or church, and the professional ‘calling’ as in 11.
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus., II. 83. A good pastor, and diligent in his calling.
1585. Abp. Sandys, Serm. iv. ¶ 11. 67. Assisted from heauen with all helpes necessary for their calling.
1732. Law, Serious C., xxiv. (ed. 2), 489. In the exalted virtues of his Apostolical calling.
1855. Prescott, Philip II., II. ix. (1857), 312. The dangerous calling of the missionary.
1883. Froude, Short Stud., IV. I. iii. 25. The duties of his sacred calling.
d. Requirement of duty; occasion, right; = CALL sb. 8.
1857. Lit. Churchman, III. 409. A sprightly American air which has no sort of calling to be a hymn-tune.
† 10. Position, estate or station in life; rank. [Founded on 1 Cor. vii. 20, Gr. κλήσει, L. vocatione, where it stands for the condition or position in which one was when called to salvation; but afterwards often mixed up with sense 9, as if it meant the estate in life to which God has called a man.]
[1382. Wyclif, 1 Cor. vii. 20. Eche man in what clepynge he is cleped, in that dwelle he; 1534 Tindale, in the same state wherein he was called; 1539 Cranmer, and 1611, in the same callinge, wherin he was called; 1557 Geneva, in the same state wherin he was called; 1582 Rhem., in the vocation that he vvas called.]
a. 1555. Latimer, Serm. & Rem. (1845), 151. We are commanded … to apply ourselves to goodness, every one in his calling.
1575–6. Lansdowne MS. 21, in Thynne’s Animadv. (1865), Introd. 52. Righte honorable … presuminge uppon the honor of your callinge.
1590. Greene, Mourn. Garm. (1616), 15. Seeing hee was a Gentleman of some calling, by his traine.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1638), 304. As wel vnto them of the poorer sort, as others of greater calling.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., I. ii. IV. vi. (1651), 154. As it [Poverty] is esteemed in the worlds censure, it is a most odious calling.
1633. [J. Partridge], Treas. Hid. Secrets, Pref. A Lady of great calling.
1691. Shadwell, Scowrers, IV. 376. Men of Calling, knaves of business.
11. Hence, Ordinary occupation, means by which livelihood is earned, business, trade. [Often etymologized in the same way as prec.]
1551. Recorde, Pathw. Knowl., To Rdr. As carefull familie shall cease hir cruell callinge, and suffre anie laiser.
1588. Marprel. Epist. (Arb.), 46. They continue in vnlawful callings.
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., V. xiv. 413. They who count a calling a prison, shall at last make a prison their calling.
1687. T. Brown, Saints in Uproar, Wks. 1730, I. 76. I was a ferry-man by my calling.
1768–78. Tucker, Lt. Nat., II. 488. The appellation given to all common trades and professions, which are termed lawful callings, that is, employments whereto each particular man is called by the courses of nature and fortune, those two ministers of Providence.
1841–4. Emerson, Ess., iv. Spir. Laws, Wks. (Bohn), I. 68. Our choice of a calling.
1848. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 285. A large class of mosstroopers, whose calling was to plunder dwellings and drive away whole herds of cattle.
1872. Yeats, Growth Comm., 203. Navigation, with its many attendant callings, employed a multitude of people.
b. concr. A body of persons following a particular profession or trade.
1654. Hammond, Fundamentals, xi. § 14. 106 (J.). It may be a very opportune caution to all Christian Churches, and Magistrates, not to impose celibacie on whole callings, and great multitudes of men or women.
III. attrib. and comb.
1848. Bamford, Early Days, xii. (1859), 118. Another calling house was Schofield’s.
1853. Mrs. Gaskell, Cranford, i. (1864), 7. From twelve to three are our calling-hours.
1860. Sat. Rev., IX. 599/1. The calling-house of wits, the gathering-place of poets and connoisseurs.
