What does chaunce mean?
Chaunce is an archaic English verb meaning to happen, occur, or befall, particularly by chance or fortune. It is essentially an older form of the modern word 'chance,' preserving the spelling and verbal usage common in Middle and Early Modern English before orthography became standardized. In historical texts, one might read phrases such as 'whatever shall chaunce' meaning 'whatever shall happen.' Today the word survives mainly in antique literature, dialect remnants, and scholarly discussion of early English; no contemporary writer would use it unselfconsciously. Its interest lies chiefly in what it reveals about the history of English — how a single word could serve both as a noun denoting luck or fortune and as a verb denoting occurrence, before the noun 'chance' became dominant and its verbal sibling faded from use.
verbAn archaic or dialectal English verb meaning to happen or occur by chance; to befall.
- (archaic/dialectal) To happen or come to pass; to befall someone or something.
"Whatever may chaunce, the travellers pressed on through the storm."
"If it should chaunce that he arrive late, the ceremony will begin without him."
"The chronicler recorded whatever might chaunce upon the king's long journey."
Before 'chance' settled into modern English, writers spelled it 'chaunce' — Shakespeare's readers would have known it as a perfectly ordinary way to say 'happen.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chaunce
Chaunce derives from the Old French 'cheance' (fall, happening, fortune), which itself comes from the Vulgar Latin *cadentia, from Latin 'cadere,' meaning 'to fall.' It entered English during the Middle English period as both a noun and a verb, with the spelling 'chaunce' reflecting French-influenced conventions of the era. Over time the noun sense developed into the modern 'chance,' while the verb gradually became obsolete. Cognates and relatives include 'cadence' and 'incident,' all tracing back to the same Latin root of falling or befalling.
How chaunce is actually used
Chaunce is obsolete or at best dialectal in contemporary English; it appears chiefly in older literature and historical documents. Modern writing should use 'chance' or 'happen' instead. The spelling reflects earlier English conventions before standardization.
Easily confused with chaunce
Chance is the standard modern word for probability or something happening by accident, while chaunce is a now-obsolete spelling and form of the same word surviving only in older texts.