Obs. Perhaps a variant of CHIVE1; but possibly representing OE. cipe ‘onion’ and (?) ‘shalot, scallion,’ the normal modern repr. of which would be chipe. Cf. also Sc. ciba, sybo, ‘onion.’
[a. 700. Erfurt Gloss., 286. Caepa, cipae.
c. 725. Corpus Gloss., 448. Cepa ynnilæc, cipe.
a. 1100. Vocab., in Wr.-Wülcker, 296. Ascolonia cipe.]
1691. Nicholson, Gloss. Northanhymb., in Ray, N. C. Words, 140. A Chibe, Cepa, AS. Cipe.
