? Obs. Forms: 7 garvance, caravance, 8 calla-, callevance, callvanse, kalavansa, 8 callivancy, 8– calli-, calavance. [Orig. garvance, caravance, a. Sp. garbanzo chick-pea, according to Larramendi ad. Basque garbantzu, f. garau seed, corn + antzu dry. (Diez says the question of derivation from Gr. ἐρέβινθος chick-pea is not worth consideration; though the Pg. form ervanço suggests connection with the Gr.) Calavance appears to have come into Eng. through some foreign lang. which changed r into l.]
A name for certain varieties of pulse, as Dolichos barbadensis, D. sinensis, etc.
1620. Cocks’s Diary, II. 311 (Y.). They make their provition in aboundance … garvances, or small peaze or beanes.
1767. Chron., in Ann. Reg., 126/2. Orders of his Majesty in council … Importation into this Kingdom of oats … peas, beans, tares, callivancies.
1772–84. Cook, Voy. (1790), I. 246. Rice, callevances, and water-melons. Ibid., 255. To bring away the maize and callavances.
1779. Forrest, New Guinea, 104. Abounding with kalavansas (beans), but having no rice.
1829. Marryat, F. Mildmay, vi. Salt fish and calavances, for such was our cargo.
c. 1880. Sir J. Hooker, in Yule, Gloss., s.v., When I was in the Navy, haricot beans were in constant use as a substitute for potatoes, and, in Brazil and elsewhere were called Calavances.
