< University of Manchester, Lexis of Cloth & Clothing Project, Search Result For: 'ermine'
| Skip to main content | Skip to navigation | Skip to Search |

[University home]

The Lexis of Cloth and Clothing Project
    Expand All     Collapse All     Print Page

ermine

.
Searchable Lemmata: ermina (L), eremeticus (L), erminalis (L), ermin (AF), ermin (ME), ermined (ME), ermin (W), armine (OScots), ermyn (OScots), ermine (MdE), ermined.
Alternate Forms: erminium, erminius, hermina, erminn, hermin, hermine, armin, armine, armyne, ermyn, arming, ermyng, armined.

    Definitions and Defining Citations:

1a(n.) Raw Material; member of the European weasel family Mustela Erminea, a stoat. The designation 'ermine' (rather than 'stoat') normally refers to the animal when it has its white winter coat (white with a black-ended tail), rather than its reddish-brown summer coat.(circa 1250 still in current use)
1. [p. 233] (PROME item 770) Item, .i. autre pane de blanket, les bordures de rouge baudekyn, furrez de menever pur, pris .iiij.li. (771) Item, .i. autre pane de taune, furrez de gros menever, pris de tout .xxvi. s. .viij. d. (772) Item, .i. carpet bien veille contenant .ix. verges .iij. quarters, pris .xiij. s. .iiij. d. Summa .xiiij. pagine: .viij c vij.li. .ij. s. .i. d. (773) Item, .i. lite d'arras des cheries, le testour contenant .iiij. verges demi en longure et .iij. verges en large, en tout .xiij. verges demi quarrez. Item, le celour contenant .iiij. verges en longure et .iiij. verges en large, en tout .xvi. verges quarrez. Item, le counterpoynt contenant .vi. verges en longure et .v. verges demi de large, contenant .xxxiij. verges quarrez. Item, .i. tapite d'arras ovec shepeherdes contenant .vij. verges demi en longure et .v. verges de large, contenant .xxxvij. vergez demi quarrez. Item, .i. autre tapite de mesme le suyte contenant .vij. verges demi de longure et .v. verges de large, en tout .xxxvij. verges demi. Item, .i. autre tapite de mesme la suyte contenant .vij. verges demi de longure et .v. verges de large, en tout .xxxvij. vergez demi. Summa des verges .clxxv. verges, pris le verge .iij. s. .iiij. d., .xxix.li. .iij. s. .iiij. d. [p. 234] (item 802) Item, .xxij. fethirbeddes ovec taunt de bolsters de plume, pris le pece ensemble .x. s., .xi.li. ... (820) Item, divers remenaunts de marterons et ventres des ermyns, contenant .liiij., pris ensemble .vi.li. .xiij. s. .iiij. d. ... (826) Item, .i. lite des plumes ovec .i. bolster, pris .xx s. ... (828) Item, .iij. tapites de worsted rouge et .i. petite carpet en le chapelle, pris .viij. s. Legal. (citations individual page of text may not appear in original order) [AND RotParl1 (iv 233-234) 1423]
2. Owt of hys mowþe wente a þynge Also whyte as any armyne Heroic, Romance. [MED Guy(4) ((Cmb Ff.2.38) 9085) ante 1500]
3. luterium, mustelarum, erminarum ... satis copia est que nunc gravi hieme ... laqueis ... capiuntur Accounts. [DMLBS Lib. Eli. (II 105)]
c.f.: ermita
AF, L, ME, MdE, OScots, W.
Sex: Male, Female, Infant    Use: n/a    Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.
1b(n.) Raw Material; winter fur of this animal (typically white with a black tail), used as costly and luxurious trim or lining for a garment; also the pelt of the ermine.(circa 1303 still in current use)
1. Kaius dapifer erminio honoratus, mille ... nobilibus comitatus qui omnes erminio induti fercula ... ministrabant Historic. [DMLBS G. MON. (IX 13) 1136]
2. prohibemus ... sanctimoniales ... marterinis, beverinis pellibus, hereminis, anulis aureis uti (Conc. Lond. 14) Historic. [DMLBS GERV. CANT. (Chr. 108) 1138]
3. [1649] ... N’une pas vestu burels engleis, Meis peliçuns veirs e hermins ... [1650] ... Li vaslez ... N'unt pas vestu burels engleis, Meis ... ciclatuns e osterins Biblical/Hagiographic. [AND S Gile (1649-50) circa 1160]
4. [1066] ... Kar par devaunt sunt vos escous E d'encoste sunt vos gerouns ... [1068] ... E donez tost a celui pelryn Ke porte un chape de hermin [AND BIBB ANTS (1066-8) circa 1250]
5. per unam supertunicam de grosso vario, et unam duodenam de ermino ... xliij s. iiij d. Accounts. [DMLBS ExchScot (365) 1331]
6. Ac yna y hurdaud ermin ef yn varchaug ac y guisgaud arueu ymdanau nyt amgen actwn da dilis ysgafyn, a lluruc duy dyplic yr hon ny fuyssei dec arugein o funei y wlat. ac nyt oed araf a allei argyued y vn o hynny truy y lluruc. ac ar vchaf hynny quire diogel , a chynsallt hossaneu lluryc a chrimogeu am y draet ay ysgeired ac ar warthaf hynny ysparduneu eureit. am y ben y dodet penguch burkwin a ffaylet. ac ar warthaf hynny helym eureit echdywynnedic. a guedy hynny y rodes y brenhin cledyf idaw ac y gwisgaud amdanaw. Romance. [GPC YBH (9. col. 17 535 -49a) circa 1250]
7. Ciclatounes þat weren of prijs, Pelured wiþ Ermyne & wiþ grijs. Biblical/Hagiographic. [MED St.Alex.(3) ((LdMisc 622) 38/398) circa 1400]
8. Scho come in a veluet ... Alle of palle-werke [vr. pall-work] fyne, Cowchide with newyne, Furrede with ermyne And couerde [variant MS Cmb Ff.1.6 reads: overt] with pryde ... Anerlud [read: anurled; Thrn: ffurede] with ermyn Heroic, Romance. [MED Degrev. ((Thrn) 645-647) circa 1440]
9. A longe goune of cremysen velvet ... furred wyth menever and purfelled wyth ermyn ... Item, a shorte gowne of blakke pewke ffurred wyth martres Accounts. [MED Acc.Howard in RC 57 (320) 1465]
10. A bed þer-In ... The Couertowre was of Ermone goode(work: a1450) [MED Parton.(1) ((Add 35288) 1136) ante 1500]
AF, L, ME, MdE, OScots, W.
Sex: Male, Female, Infant    Use: n/a    Status: n/a    Rank: n/a    Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.
1c(n.) Raw Material; ermine fur (as used in heraldry), consisting of white with black spots; an ermine spot; an heraldic representation of ermine fur. Also cf. the adjectival sense.(circa 1350 still in current use)
1. [33] ... Mes ore dirray des armes de Mortimere ... L’escu d’argent a un bordure bordee D’or et d’azeur ... [41] ... L’un (=shield) est d’ermyn, l'autre de veer clere ... [46] ... D’ermyn deit homme dire, nient enhermynee Legal. [AND Dean Tract (33-46) circa 1350]
2. Monsire R.I., d’armine a un fes de goules ... Monsire le Septon port d'or a un egle espaigné de vert, bek et pedz de goules, a un gobone (l. goboné) de vj peces de goules et d'argent [AND Ashmole Roll (m 3) circa 1334]
3. [227] ... Gold and aseure ceche, a cheveron of ermyne ... [228] ... [Azure three] whet chewys [or] garbys [of gold] [MED Bk.Arms in Anc.4 ((Hrl 2169) 227-8) circa 1460]
ME.
Sex: Male, Female, Infant    Use: n/a    Ceremonial: Yes
Body Parts: N/A.
2(n.) Raw Material; ermine coat.(circa 1200 still in current use)
1. e li sayserunt par le hermin engulez Heroic, Romance. [AND Boeve (2582 (variant)) circa 1200/1250]
AF.
Sex: Male    Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.
3(adj.) Raw Material; made from ermine (fur); ermine-like or ermine-coloured; in heraldry: 'ermined', of or charged with ermine (as with the L adjectival forms eremeticus and erminalis).(circa 1250 still in current use)
1. par le mantel hermin le ad prise si le ad dejuste lui resise Arthurian, Heroic, Romance. [AND Fol Trist ANTS (481) circa 1250]
2. [187] ... portat tres rosas aureas in campo argenteo cum bordura sive fimbria de rubeo ... [189] ... vocantur bendaria barrata quia sunt barrata et duo colores conjunguntur in singulis barris bendatim ... [190] ... portat unam bendam et duas bendulas aureas in campo ... [192] ... crucem ereminalem(heraldic) [DMLBS BAD. AUR. (187-192)]
3. portat crucem ereminalem sive ermeticam, A. he berith a croys of armene Other. [DMLBS BAD. AUR. (192) circa 1400]
4. portat arma palata de auro et azorio cum quarta ermetica, et G. sic: il port palee d'or et d'asor ung quart d'ermyn Other. (charged with ermine) [DMLBS BAD. AUR. (198) circa 1400]
5. qui habet ista arma portat unam crucem erminalem sive eremeticam, et G. sic: il port ung crois erminee Other. [DMLBS UPTON (222) ante 1457]
6. John Wyld beryth sabyll a cheveron ermyne iij wylkys of sylvyr. John Hemyngbourgh beryth ermyn a cheveron counterbataylyd goulys.(heraldic) [MED Bk.Arms in Anc.9 ((Hrl 2169) 174) circa 1460]
7. [2a] ... The lord howard ... Whytt lyon on his sheulde [a] Cressant azur. ... [2v] ... The lord Gray Rythyn ... Blak Ragyd staffe. ... [3v] ... Sir John harlwyn ... Blake sarezyn hede, Cope. ... [4r] ... Mr Smyrte, gartier, A Brode Arowe hed, Blake, Armyned.(heraldic: in this use, white spots on black: cf. erminé, erminee) [MED Exped.Edw.IV ((Arms 2M.16) 2a-4r) circa 1475]
8. Veire and gryce and pylches armyne Heroic, Romance. (work: ?a1475) [MED Guy(4) ((Cmb Ff.2.38) 8425) ante 1500]
c.f.: erminé
AF, L, ME, MdE; Primarily N/A.
Sex: N/A    Use: n/a    Status: n/a    Rank: n/a    Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.

    Etymological Evidence:

Definite, OF ermin, ermine, hermin, hermine (modern hermine). Medieval British L included the adjectival forms ermeticus and erminalis (both with heraldic uses). Also cf. the Latin term ermita. There are two main possibilities for earlier etymology (discussed in the OED 2nd ed., 1989). First is that the word in French is < Germanic, cf. OHG harmin 'belonging to the stoat' < harmo 'stoat', cf. Old English hearma. The other possibility is a with 'Armenian': 'A different hypothesis (favoured by Littré, Paul Meyer, and others) is that the Romanic words represent L. Armenius Armenian. ... The belief that the ermine derived its name from Armenia was common in the 14th c., and the supposition accounts quite satisfactorily for the Romanic forms of the word. If this view be correct, it involves the consequence that the resemblance in sound between ermine and OHG. harmîn was merely accidental; there may however have been an early confusion between two distinct words of similar sound and meaning' [OED, 2nd ed., 1989, 'ermine'].
WF: Borrowed into the British Isles
Etym Cog: ermita.
References:
Skip to main content Skip to navigation