Searchable Lemmata: mantellum (L), mantele (L), mantelium (L), mentel (OE), matal (Ir), mantel (AF), mantell (W), mantel (Co), mantel (ME), mantil (OScots), mantele (OScots), mantle (MdE), manteel (MdE).
Alternate Forms: imantlet, manteill, manteled, mantelia, mantelii, mantelis, mantella, mantella, mantelle, mantellus, mantelum, mantil, mantilii, mantilla, mantlid, mauntel, mentel, vantell.
NOTE(n.) ;
mantle and its forms in Latin and the Insular vernacular languages refers to coverings of various kinds. Most forms are ultimately from Classical Latin mantellum 'cloak, covering', a meaning which lies behind sense 1 below and related connotations; the other source is Latin mantēle 'hand-cloth, napkin', a meaning which lies behind sense 2 below and related. These two Latin words are considered to be of separate origin but were occasionally confused in Latin as early as the fourth century. For further discussion see etymology below.
Ceremonial: No
Body Parts:
1a(n.)
Garment;
article of cloth or similar wrapped about the person, a cloak, cape, wrap or other outer covering; through the medieval period, came to be used for an outer garment of various descriptions, usually a sleeveless cloak worn over the tunic or similar. In certain instances referring specifically to such items as worn by nobility, royalty or ecclesiastics.(ante 700 still in current use)
5. Ge eac Godes bebeod on earfoþlican þingan & on teonfullen þurh þolebyrdnysse gefylloð, gif hi beoð gesmitan on þæt an hleor, wend forð þæt oþer; þam þe þæne cyrtel benymð, læteð to þæne mentel.
Ecclesiastic/Regula.
[DOE BenRW (0150 (7.37.19))]
6. Seacht matail co mbuindib d'ór/ & seacht cuirnd fri comól,/ seacht n-eich, ní hiarmairi daill,/ do ríg Ciarraigi in chomlaind.
Legal.
[eDIL BR2 (470-3) 1050/1150]
14. a navuet dyd kalan gayaf peys a chrys a llavder hep tenllyf a dele e gaffael; kyhyt e dele bot e dyllat a chvlem e lavder; kalan gayaf e dele caffael cappan, a kalan Mavrth neu Chueuravr, mantell
[GPC LlI (19.9-12 §34) circa 1250]
17. A’r petweryd chwech a diodassant vy lludedwisc a dodi gwisc arall ymdanaf, nyt amgen, crys a llawdyr o’r bliant, a ffeis a swrcot a mantell o bali melyn ac orffreis lydan yn y vantell.
Arthurian, Romance.
[LexP O (Thomson) (3. 69-72) circa 1250]
18. A rynnawd y wrthunt y gwelwn gwr pengrych melyn yny dewred a'y waryf yn newyd eillaw, a ffeis a mantell o bali melyn ymdanav. ac ysnoden eurllin yny vantell a dvy wintas o gordwal brith am y draet a deu gnap eur yn eu kau.
Arthurian, Romance.
[LexP O (Thomson) (3, 51-4) circa 1350]
19. ... Et qe nul garceon, yoman ne servant des marchantz, marchandie artificer ou gentz de mestere ne use autrement en apparaile qe n'est ordeine des garceons et yomen des seignurs paramont.
Item [29], qe chivalers qe ont terre ou rente deinz la value de deux centz mars par an preignent et usent drape de sis marcs le drape entier pur lour vesture, et nounpas de plus haute pris. Et q'ils ne usent drape d'or, ne cloche, mantel ne goune fururez de menevoir purez, manches d'ermyns, ne nul apparaill broidez de perre n'autrement. Et qe lour femmes, files et enfantz soient de mesme la condicion, et qe eles ne usent revers d'ermyns, ne de letuses esclaires, ne nul manere d'apparaill de perre sinoun pur lour testes. Mes qe touz chivalers et dames qe ont terre ou rente outre la value de quatre centz mars par an tanqe a la somme de mille livres par an usent a lour volente, forspris ermyns, letuses et apparaille de perre sinoun pur lour testes.
Item, qe les clercs ... q'ont tiel estat qe demande pellure, facent et usent solonc la constitucion d'ycelles. ... Et qe touz ceux, sibien chivalers come clercs, qi par ceste ordinance puissent user pellure en yverne, par mesme la manere usent en este linure.
Legal.
[LexP PROME (Ed. III: Parl. of Oct. 1363, items 28-29) 1363]
Sex: Male, Female Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: Back, Chest, Head, Neck, Waist.
1b(n.)
Garment;
in various English compounds: see entries at foot-mantle, mantle cloth, mantle lap, mantle nook. Also in the compounds 'Welsh mantle' and 'Scottish mantle', mantles originating in of made of a material or style associated with those countries.(circa 1300 - ante 1500)
Sex: Male, Female Ceremonial: No
Body Parts:
1c(n.)
Garment;
specifically in Older Scots and Early Modern English, a cloth cover or plaid worn in rural Ireland and the Scottish highlands. Often in phrases such as 'Erse mantle', 'Irish mantle', 'highland mantle', etc.(circa 1475 - circa 1700)
Sex: Male, Female Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.
2a(n.)
Furnishing;
hand towel or napkin.(ante 700 - post 1425)
5. [254] ... in bolt’ rubei say ... propter anabatam faciendam ... [256] ... in stipendio Katerine Colyns facientis mantalia coquine hoc anno xx d.
[DMLBS Ambrosden (II 254-256) 1425]
Sex: N/A Use: n/a Status: n/a Rank: n/a Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.
2b(n.)
Textile;
extended to mean a large cloth covering, such as a tablecloth, altar cloth, etc. blanket, cover or similar soft furnishing.(ante 900 - circa 1450 ?)
Sex: N/A Use: n/a Status: n/a Rank: n/a Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.
3(n.)
Law/Custom;
measure or quantity of furs, containing 30-100 skins according to size. [cf. DOST, s.v. 'mantil(l n. (2)']; also Veale, E. (1966), p. 220].(circa 1420 - ante 1700)
Sex: N/A Use: n/a Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.
Definite, ultimately from two Classical Latin words: mantellum 'cloak, covering' and mantēle 'hand-cloth, towel, napkin'. The latter is related to the word manus 'hand' and derivatives (cf. mantium, manutergium, etc.). The former is a diminutive of mantum (q.v.) 'cloak', itself of uncertain origin but possibly from Gaulish. Although both sets of senses continued in distinct usage through the medieval period, the forms were often conflated from as early as the 4th century in the vernacular languages; cf. Isidore's form 'mantelium' under present sense 2a.
L. mantellum was borrowed into Old English, generally as mentel (showing i-mutation of the first vowel, probably due to interpretation of the ending as the OE -el suffix). The Latin continued into French as mantel (Modern French manteau), whence it was borrowed into Middle English, with forms in man- being used alongside the inherited mentel-types. Ultimately the man- forms became standard, due to French and Latinate influence.
The Latin word was also borrowed into other Germanic languages: OHG mantal, Old Frisian mentel, etc. It was also borrowed into Old Norse, which gave Old Icelandic mǫttull; the same Old Norse term was borrowed into Irish before the twelfth century, giving Irish matal 'cloak', a word used alongside the native equivalent brat (Modern Irish matal means 'mantelpiece'). Welsh mantell, Cornish mantell are probably continuations of a Britonnic borrowing of the Latin word, though perhaps reinforced by knowledge of Anglo-French mantel.
Latin mantele, mantile (or the variant mantilium pl. mantilia) continued to be used in its original meaning 'hand-cloth' (etc.; see present sense 2); though often extended in meaning to refer to larger cloths and coverings of various kinds (sense 2b), a semantic development perhaps influenced by mantellum. Occasionally the word was used to mean 'cloak, covering' (i.e, conflated with mantellum), for example present sense 1a citation 3 where mantile is equated with hackle (q.v.). However, in the vernacular languages 'mantle' is normally only used to refer to garments or physical coverings of objects (such as above a fireplace - cf. E. mantelpiece; a rampart (in Anglo-French), etc.), and not to hand-cloths or similar, though there are exceptions in Middle English (cf. present sense 2b citation 5).
WF: Borrowed into the British Isles
Etym Cog:
References:
