< University of Manchester, Lexis of Cloth & Clothing Project, Search Result For: 'mail 2'
| 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

mail 2

.
Searchable Lemmata: male (AF), male (ME), mala (L), malum (L), mála (Ir), male (OScots), mail (MdE).
Alternate Forms: maele, maile, maille, malam, male, males, malice, maliis, malis, malle, mel, mele, meole.

    Definitions and Defining Citations:

1(n.) Accessory; bag or pouch; travelling bag or portmanteau. Also appears in various compounds and in idiomatic expressions.(ante 1170 - circa 1390)
1. pro bulgis et maliis in camera regis xxxj s. et x d. Accounts. [DMLBS Pipe (20) 1164]
2. Deguiser se fist cum marchant ... Sa male portout ovec sei Cum ceo fust sa mercerie [AND Jos (700) circa 1200/1250]
3. A man þat bore Of red gold up-on hijs bac, In a male with or blac, Ne funde he non that him misseyde Heroic, Poetic, Romance. [MED Havelok ((LdMisc 108) 48) circa 1300]
4. In his male he hadde a pilwe beer [vrr. pilewber, pilowbere, pelough bere; pylowere] Which that he seyde was oure lady veyl ... He seyde he hadde a gobet of the seyl [vr. seylke] That Seint Peter hadde whan that he wente Vp on the see Poetic. [MED Chaucer CT.Prol. ((Manly-Rickert) A.694-696) circa 1387/1395]
AF, Ir, L, ME, MdE, OScots; Primarily N/A.
Sex: Male, Female    Status: n/a    Rank: n/a    Ceremonial: No
Body Parts:

    Etymological Evidence:

Definite, Anglo-French/Old French male, maele (etc.) < a Germanic. In MdE (esp. American) usage, 'that which is sent' / the content of a courier's bag.
WF: Borrowed into the British Isles
Etym Cog:
References:
Skip to main content Skip to navigation