Charp

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Peter Duncanson (BrE) - 23 Jul 2009 18:47 GMT

Has anyone come across the noun "charp" meaning "sleep"?

For example:

"He's having a charp": "He having a sleep"

I heard this word used by a few people when I was in the Royal Air Force
in the 1950s. I might have used it myself in their company.

I don't know the origin of the word. It might be military slang, or not.
There are two possibilities that I can think of:

1. Imitative of a snoring sound,

2. From "charpoy"
http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/charpoy
charpoy
noun Indian a light bedstead.
ORIGIN Persian.

A basic charpoy in Lahore:
http://www.streetphotos.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/lahore-man-charpoy.jpg

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Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)

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Nick Spalding - 23 Jul 2009 20:26 GMT

Peter Duncanson (BrE) wrote, in
<2q7h65du83qo0vjsh74225l2pmngfbpvu7@4ax.com>
on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:47:46 +0100:

> Has anyone come across the noun "charp" meaning "sleep"?
>
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> A basic charpoy in Lahore:
> http://www.streetphotos.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/lahore-man-charpoy.jpg

I never heard it in my army service, 1955-57, but I would bet on
charpoy.

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Nick Spalding
BrE/IrE

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John Dean - 24 Jul 2009 00:27 GMT

> Peter Duncanson (BrE) wrote, in
> <2q7h65du83qo0vjsh74225l2pmngfbpvu7@4ax.com>
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
> I never heard it in my army service, 1955-57, but I would bet on
> charpoy.

That's what Partridge thinks.
He says the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regt was known in the Jewel as
the Charps and Dils, 'dil' meaning 'heart'.

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John Dean
Oxford

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Yusuf B Gursey - 26 Jul 2009 19:26 GMT

On Jul 23, 1:47 pm, "Peter Duncanson (BrE)" <m...@peterduncanson.net>
wrote:

> Has anyone come across the noun "charp" meaning "sleep"?
>
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> noun Indian a light bedstead.
> ORIGINPersian.

I think it is from persian *ch*a:r pa:y "four legged"

> A basic charpoy in Lahore:http://www.streetphotos.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/lahore-ma...
>
> --
> Peter Duncanson, UK
> (in alt.usage.english)

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Discussion Groups / English Usage / July 2009

Charp