Cockaigne
or Cock·ayne
[ko-keyn]
Origin of Cockaigne
1250–1300; Middle English cokaygn(e) < Middle French (paide) cocaigne (land of) Cockaigne, idler's paradise < Middle Low German kōkenje, equivalent to kōken (see cookie) + -je diminutive suffix
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for cockaigne
Historical Examples of cockaigne
Her face had the melancholy of Russia, but her voice was as the voice of Cockaigne.
Nights in LondonThomas Burke
She had the haunting melancholy of Russia in her face, but her voice was as the voice of Cockaigne.
Modern EssaysJohn Macy
Cockaigne is a delightful country, and the Cockaigne of criticism is as agreeable as the other provinces.
Essays in English Literature, 1780-1860George Saintsbury
His kingdom was the “Land of Cockaigne,” a borrowing, most probably, from the thirteenth century satire by that name.
Leigh Hunt's Relations with Byron, Shelley and KeatsBarnette Miller
"He may be a veritable subject of the kingdom of Cockaigne, for aught I know," replied his friend.
SybilBenjamin Disraeli
Cockaigne
Cockayne
Word Origin for Cockaigne
C14: from Old French cocaigne, from Middle Low German kōkenje small cake (of which the houses in the imaginary land are built); related to Spanish cucaña, Italian cuccagna
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Cockaigne
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper