Searchable Lemmata: espauler (AF), espaudlera (L).
Alternate Forms: apauler, aspaulers, epaudleras, espaudler, épaulière, espaulera, espaudlers, espaulire, espaulires.
1(n.)
Armour;
armour for the shoulder; shoulder-plate.(circa 1215 - circa 1325)
2. hee sunt armature quas ... recepit ... : unam loricam, ... j gardecors de ferro, j cohoperturas ferreas, j caligas ferreas, j galeam, j cap[ellum ferreum], j paelett'; et de lineis armaturis j purpunctum et j espauleram de nigro cendalo, ... quiseram et coleram et coifam et tunicam armandam et duo paria cohopertoriorum ...
Accounts.
[DMLBS CurR (XI 1913) 1224]
3. [54] ... hec sirma: e[m]pleez ... [55] ... hoc tubrale (sic) vel tibratus: genuler ... canabium: cambre ... fultrum: coylte ... galiale: eschapel de feutre ... hoc lu[m]bare, a lumbo, a[r]millare: espauler, ab armis ... humerale: espauler
Gloss.
[AND TLL (ii 54-55) ante 1300]
4. qe nul Roy des Haraunz ne menestrals portent privez armez, ne autres forz lur espees sanz poynte. E qe lé Reys des Harraunz eyent lur huces des armes saunz plus ... armez de mustilers e de quissers e des espaulers ... e de [bacyn] (var. bacynette), sanz plus
Legal.
[AND Stats (i 231) post 1274]
5. [15] ... un peire de gossetes e un peire de espaudlers ... un autre peire de quisseux e poleyns e esquinebaux de gwere ... [17] ... un picer, un teister, un peire de chausouns jaunes ... e glasuers, un espé pur torney ...
Wills.
[AND Will (15-17) 1325]
Sex: Male Use: Military Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: Shoulder(s).
2(n.)
Garment;
cloak or mantle; presumably a garment covering the shoulders.(circa 1275)
1. planetam: pleyn (D) pal (T) pal hairunner (A) / casulam: chape close (CO) cap et pal close (A) cape close (D) chap close (L) pal vel cape cloce (T) ... reculas: de beubelés, beubelés vel jueus, beubloss [sic] , bebielés ... birri: cherouns ... levitonaria: escapeloris, heykis, ekies, heykes, scapoloris, happruns ... armilausas: espaulers, apaulers ... galearia: garland de or (var. chapeus de feutre)
Gloss.
[AND TLL (ii 50) circa 1275/1299]
Use: n/a Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: Back, Shoulder(s).
Definite, Anglo-French/Old French é(s)paule/espal(l)e 'shoulder' (< Latin spatula, variant of spathula 'spatula, small flat tool (dimin. of spatha), used of the shoulder-blade) + suffix -(i)er. The standard modern French form is épaulière. The Latin forms are borrowed from French, with assimilation to the original Latin spathula.
WF: Borrowed into the British Isles
Etym Cog: espauler (OF).
References:
