Churchyard

Forms: 2 cyrceiærd, 3 chircheȝeard, 4–5 -ȝerd, 5 cherch-, chyrche-, churche-ȝerd, -ȝarde, 5–6 churchȝerd, 6– churchyard. [f. CHURCH + YARD sb.²: cf. the Sc. KIRK-YARD, and northern Eng. KIRK-GARTH, CHURCH-GARTH. The stress is upon church already in Shaksp.; yet we usually say St. Paul’s Churchya·rd, with stress on yard, as always in Sc.]

  1.  The yard or enclosed piece of ground in which a church stands; formerly almost universally used as a burial ground for the parish or district, and still so used, esp. in rural districts.

1154.  O. E. Chron. (Laud MS.), an. 1137. § 4. Nouther circe ne cyrceiærd.

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 318 (MS. Titus). Eode in ring i chirche ȝeard.

1393.  Langl., P. Pl., C. XVI. 11. Ne corses of poure comune in here kirke-ȝerd [so 2 MSS., 3 have churche-; 2 chirche-].

c. 1440.  Promp. Parv., 75. Chyrcheȝarde [Pynson churcheyerde], cimitorium.

1512.  Act 4 Hen. VIII., c. 2 § 2. The Churche or Churchyerd or other place preveleged.

1591.  Shaks., 1 Hen. VI., I. ii. 100. The which at Touraine, in S. Katherine’s Church-yard I chose forth. Ibid. (1607), Cor., III. iii. 51. Thinke Vpon the wounds his body beares, which shew Like Graues i’th holy Church-yard.

1621.  Burton, Anat. Mel., Democr. to Rdr. 57. Separate places to bury the dead in, not in churchyards.

1712.  Addison, Spect., No. 419, ¶ 5. The Church-yards were all haunted.

1821.  Clare, Vill. Minstr., I. 8. He … scarce could pass A church-yard’s dreary mounds at silent night.

  † 2.  A burial-ground generally; a cemetery. Obs.

1477.  Earl Rivers (Caxton), Dictes, 98. The peple said to alexander that he was euer in the chircheyerd.

1601.  Holland, Pliny, II. (1634), 92. The other … groweth commonly in churchyards among graues and tombs.

1678.  Wanley, Wond. Lit. World, V. iii. § 12. 474/1. Anicetus … was … buried in the Church-yard of Calistus.

  † 3.  The precincts of a church; a cathedral close. Obs. rare. (Cf. St. Paul’s Churchyard.)

1467.  in Eng. Gilds (1870), 393. (Ordin. Worcester), The citezens dwelling w^tyn the churche yordes, or ffraunchesis aioynynge to this, the citee.

1577.  Fletewoode, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., II. ccii. III. 56. Here fell a mischaunce betwene two of my Lo. Chamberleyns men, and the on of them was killed in Powles churche yarde.

  4.  Proverb.

1635.  Swan, Spec. M. (1670), 124. A hot Christmas makes a fat Churchyard.

1710.  Brit. Apollo, III. No. 106. 2/1. A Green Christmas makes a Fat Church-Yard.

Mod. Sc.  A green Yule and a white Pace, maks a toom kirk and a fou’ kirk-yard.

  5.  attrib. and in comb. Churchyard cough, a cough symptomatic of approaching dissolution.

1602.  Carew, Cornwall (1811), 322. The curate … received him at the church yard style.

1693.  W. Robertson, Phraseol. Gen., 379. A church-yard cough; the Phthisick or Tisick.

1702.  Steele, Funeral, I. iii. I always said by his church-yard cough, you’d bury him.

1798.  Wordsw., We are Seven, vi. In the church-yard cottage, I Dwell near them with my mother.

1820.  Keats, Eve St. Agnes, xviii. A poor weak, palsy-stricken, churchyard thing.

1863.  Mrs. Gaskell, Sylvia’s L., III. xii. 202 (Hoppe). Jem coughed, poor fellow! he coughed his churchyard cough.

1880.  Browning, Dram. Idyls, Ser. II. Clive, 60. After trying churchyard-chat of days of yore.