The story
Nativized spelling of chichling vetch or chickling + vetch first nativizing chickling from chichling then compounding.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
chickling vetch
Today it means: A plant with edible seeds similar to peas and chickpeas of the species Lathyrus sativus, used as a famine food but causing lathyrism if eaten in large amounts or over a long time. Full definition →