A word, phrase, or characteristic expression taken from or imitating the style of Geoffrey Chaucer; adherence to Chaucerian style.
From 'Chaucer' plus '-ism' suffix (a characteristic doctrine, system, or practice). Used by scholars to describe Chaucer-influenced writing and specific borrowed Chaucerian phrases.
When scholars spot a 'Chaucerism,' they're tracking how English writers kept copying Chaucer 400 years later—showing that genius writing doesn't just disappear; it haunts language, making successors keep imitating it.
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