Searchable Lemmata: kyrtel (OE), cyrtel (OE), kirtel (ME), kertel (AF), kirtella (L), kirtellum (L), kirtil (OScots), kirtle (MdE).
Alternate Forms: kirtelle, cirtil, kiertel, curtel, curtell, cuertel, kurtel, cuirtel, cortel, kurdyll, kertell, kirtela, cyrtlas.
1a(n.)
Garment;
general term for an upper-body garment of various descriptions: a man or boy's tunic, (later) a woman's gown; originally short but with varying lengths; on occasion described as made of wool or fur.
The term kirtle could be used to describe a simple tunic with a belt gathering (found, for example, in Biblical translations). Kirtles were worn by both sexes and were valued sufficiently to be bequeathed by women in the tenth century and were also worn by nuns (cf. sense 1b). In the fourteenth century, the term typically applied to a tunic (or a longer gown) worn alone by working men and women, or under a surcoat, cote-hardie or gown; also carried figurative, abstract and anatomical senses: a covering or protection; etc.(circa 890 still in current use)
1. Se byrdesta sceall gyldan fiftyne mearðes fell [et] fif hranes [et] an beran fel [et] tyn ambra feðra [et] berenne kyrtel oððe yterenne [et] twegen sciprapas; ægþer sy syxtig elna lang: oþer sy of hwæles hyde geworht, oþer of sioles.
[DOE Or 1 (0105 (1.15.17)) 890/899]
2. Toþi þæt þæs leahter syndrie æhte mid ealle gewanod beo & <adilegod> sy fram heom ealle, syn gesealde fram þere abbodesse ealle neodbehefe þing, þæt is mentel, cyrtel, meon hose, gyrdel, seax, greffe, nedle, sceat, weaxbrede, þæt ælcere neode beladung sy adilegod, þæt hi þurh neode nane tale to syndre æhte nabban.
Ecclesiastic/Regula.
[DOE BenRW (0508 (55.113.13))]
4. & hio an Ceoldryþe hyre blacena tunecena swa þer hyre leofre beo & hyre betsð haliryft & hyre betsþan bindan & <Æþelflæde> þisse Hwitan hyre cincdaðenan cyrtel & cuffian & bindan & finde Æðelflæd syþþan an hyre nunscrude loce hwæt hio betsð mæge Wulfflæde & Æþelgife & ice mid golde þæt hyra ægþer hyru hæbbe LX penenga <wyrþ> & Ceolwynne & Edburge þæt sy XXX penega wyrþ.
Wills.
[DOE Ch 1539 (Whitelock 3) (0031 (75)) 900/1100]
5. Dicit ergo discipulus ille quem diligebat iesus petro dominus est simon petrus itaque cum audisset quia dominus est tunica praecincxit se erat enim nudus et misit se in mare cwæð fore ðe ðegn he ðonne lufað ðone hælend drihten is simon petrus miððy giherde þætte hlafard is ðone cyrtel ymbsalde hine wæs forðon nacod & sende hine on sæ.
[DOE JnGl (Ru) (085900 (21.7))]
6. [57] ... cote, purpoint et kertel ... laynes sengles, furrez et doublez ... hopelonde, chaperoun, pilion et chapelet ... [58] ... et la ventaille, plates, pesynes et habergeons
[AND Rom 32 (57-58) circa 1240]
11. une toge de colo[ur] de blue furrez kertill de russet pric’ de xij d. un smok p[ri]c’ de vj. d. vn broche dargent dorez p[ri]c’ de xij d. une burse pric' p[ri]c’ ij d. deux kercheves pric’ xij d. un chaperon pric’ xij d.
Legal.
[LexP NA [PRO] SC 8/255/12724 (ll. 3-6) circa 1403]
12. lego Beatrici filie Margarete sororis mee c s., unam camisiam, unum kirtellum ... togam, capicium, caligas et sotilares de novo
Accounts.
[DMLBS Reg. Cant. (II 219) 1420]
Sex: Male, Female Use: n/a Status: n/a Rank: n/a Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: Back, Chest, Entire Body.
1b(n.)
Garment;
specifically, a woman's body garment: often an outer garment worn over a smock or under a mantle, gown or pilch (MED; cf. the previous sense).(circa 995 - circa 1870 ?)
2. [1830] ... `I schal gif yow my girdel, þat gaynes yow lasse.' Ho la3t a lace ly3tly þat leke vmbe hir sydez, Knit vpon hir kyrtel vnder þe clere mantyle ... [1833] ... Gered hit [the girdle] watz with grene sylke ... around brayden ... [1846] ... 'Now forsake 3e þis silke?' sayde þe burde þenne
Arthurian, Heroic, Poetic, Romance.
[MED Gawain ((Nero A.10) 1830-1846) circa 1400]
3. We enioyne yowe ... that ye use no lases a bowte your nekkes wythe crucyfixes or rynges hangyng by thayme ... that none of yow, the prioresse ne none of the couente, were no vayles of sylke ... herneysed ... ne that none of yow vse no lased kyrtels
Ecclesiastic/Regula.
[MED Visit.Alnwick (8-8b) 1441]
Sex: Female Use: n/a Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: Back, Chest.
Definite, OE cyrtel = ON kyrtill. Commonly thought to have been adopted from L curtus (short, etc.). The DMLBS records 'Latin' variants only from 1393 and following.
The OED adds: 'The sense 'short coat', as opposed to 'long gown', would suit the ordinary meaning of the ON. ['tunic'] word, but does not apply to the use in Eng.' [OED, 2nd ed., 'kirtle, n.1']. This is probably not the case (see sense 1a).
WF:
Etym Cog: kyrtill (ON).
References:
