Forms: 6 cich(e)lynge, cichelinge, 6–8 cichling, 7–8 chichling, 8 chicheling; 7– chickling. [In 16th c. cicheling, chicheling, dim. of ciche, CHICHE, formed to represent Lat. cicercula as dim. of cicera. Altered in 18th c. to chickling.
(It is doubtful whether the alteration was intended, or merely due to an error; chickling occurs in Wilkins 1668, perh. a misprint; Kersey’s Dict. 1708–21 has chichling; so Bailey 1721, but from 1731 onwards the edd. have chickling; this was app. a misprint, for Bailey’s folio of 1730–6 retains chichling, which also occurs in writers as late as 1759. The Index to Miller’s Gardener’s Dict. 1759 has chickling, but the text chichling (about 35 times under Lathyrus). Britten and Holland adopt the form cichling.]
A name given by Turner to the Common cultivated Vetch (Lathyrus sativus), largely grown in England for fodder, but in the south of Europe as pulse. Black Cichlynge: Turner’s name for the allied Lathyrus Cicera, Lesser Chick Pea, Flat-podded Vetch; the ciere of OF., L. cicera.
1548. Turner, Names of Herbes, Cicera maye be called in englishe blacke cichlynge. Ibid., s.v. Cicercula, The puls maye be called in Englishe cichlynge, or litle or Petie ciche.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, 476. There be two sortes of Cichelinges, the great and the small, or garden and wilde Cichelinges.
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. 142. The Cichling or pety, Cich-pease [cicercula].
1611. Cotgr., Garvences, Fitches, Chichlings.
1713. J. Petiver, in Phil. Trans., XXVIII. 209. Manured White Chichling.
1708–21. Kersey, Chichlings.
1721. Bailey, Chichlings [edd. 1731–1800 Chickling; folio ed. 1730–6 Chichlings].
b. Now more fully called Chickling Vetch (formerly also chicheling pease).
1653. Urquhart, Rabelais, I. xxxviii. [They] had hid themselves in the garden upon the chichling pease.
1756. Watson, in Phil. Trans., XLIX. 843. Chichling Vetch. In bogsy, watery places.
1759. Miller, Gard. Dict., Lathyrus, Chichling Vetch. Ibid. (Index) Chickling Pea: see Lathyrus.
1807. Vancouver, Agric. Devon (Catal. Seeds) Vetch, Kidney, Chickling.
1861. Miss Pratt, Flower. Pl., II. 138. In Switzerland … the Chickling Vetch … is cultivated.
