From Old French 'chevalerie' (knighthood), from Latin 'caballus' (horse) — literally 'the code of horsemen.'
The medieval knightly system with its religious, moral, and social code; courteous behavior, especially toward women.
From Old French 'chevalerie' (knighthood, the institution of chivalry, cavalry as a military force), from 'chevalier' (knight, horseman, a mounted warrior), from Late Latin 'caballārius' (horseman, groom, one who works with horses), from Latin 'caballus' (horse, pack-horse, workhorse — a colloquial or vulgar term, as opposed to the classical 'equus'), possibly from a Celtic, Iberian, or pre-Indo-European source; some connect it tentatively to a Gaulish substrate. The semantic chain is startlingly direct: chivalry is literally horsemanship — the entire code of honor, courtly love, and martial valor that defines medieval knighthood derives its name from the horse. Only the wealthy could own and maintain a warhorse; the horse was therefore not merely transport but a social