Raines
.
Searchable Lemmata: raines (ME), rens (OScots), Raines (MdE).
Alternate Forms: rence, ryns, rynce, ryne, raignes, reine, reines, reins, renis, roines, raynes, reyns, reynes, reynez, roynes, rayns, renys.
Definitions and Defining Citations:
1(n.)
Textile;
of Reims; cloth of Reims; fine linen cloth manufactured in or associated with Reims (Champagne region), used in particular for bedding, curtains, towels, altar furnishings, etc.
At least from the 19th century, the fabric was (erroneously) attributed to the town-name Rennes in Brittany, which also produced linen in the medieval period.(ante 1275 - circa 1800)
4. [18/1] ... At nane vthir weir broudry na perle na bulʒeone ... [18/2] ... It is statut ... that the commonis wifis ... wer ... na costly curches as lawn or ryns [Ayr B. Ct. ryne] ... And vther sympillar of x lib. of rent or 1 lib. in gudis haif hat gorgeat ... & gluffis of plate brest plate pans & legsplentis at the lest
Accounts.
[DOST Acts (II. 18/1-2) 1429]
6. [121] ... ij bankers lyned with Canvas of Cowchid Werke ... In primis, unum dorsour lyned with Canvas of Arras Werk ... [123] ... Item ij stonding Cuppes and vj peces with ij Couers ... Item, iij napkyns de Reynes
Accounts.
[MED Invent.Gild in PSAL ser.2.5 (121-123) 1442]
7. The forhede playn and wommanysshe To discryue my hert slepyth for faut of englysshe; Whitter of hir self then ermyn or plesaunce, Vmple, lawn, reynez, or relisaunce ... o thyng pynchyd lyke a nonnys wymple, Ne forowyd drye lyke a nabbesse gymple
Poetic.
[MED When the son ((Frf 16) 325-326) circa 1450]
8. [p. 227]
Off ffyne cordewan’, A goodly peyre of long pekyd schon
hosyn enclosyd • of þe most costyous cloth • of Crenseyn’
þus a bey to a jentylman • to make comparycion
With two dosyn poyntys of cheverelle • þe Aglottys of syluer feyn’.
A shert of feyn holond • but care not for þe payment
A stomachere of clere reynes • þe best may be bowth
Þow poverte be chef • lete pride þer be present
And ałł þo þat repreff pride, þou sette hem at nowth.
Cadace • wolle • or flokkys • where it may be sowth
To stuffe with-al þi dobbelet, and make þe of proporcyon
Two smale legges • And a gret body • þow it ryme nowth
ȝet loke þat þou desyre • to An þe newe faccion.
A gowne of thre ȝerdys loke þou make comparison'
Vn-to ałł degrees dayly •þat passe þin astat
A purse with-outyn mony • a daggere for devoscyon’
And þere repref is of synne • loke þu make debate
With syde lokkys I schrewe þin here • to þi coloere hangyng down’
to herebrowe qweke bestys þat tekele men onyth
[p. 228]
An hey smal bonet • for curyng of þe crowne
And ałł beggerys and pore pepyłł • haue hem on dyspyte
...
A beggerys dowtere to make gret purvyauns
To cownterfete a jentyl woman’ [...]
Here colere splayed • and furryd with Ermyn calabere or satan’
A seyn to selle lechory • to hem þat wyl bey
And þei þat wyl not by it, yet i-now xal þei han’
And telle hem it is for love • she may it not deney.
Biblical/Hagiographic, Drama, Poetic.
[MED Ludus C. ((Vsp D.8) 227-228) ante 1475]
Sex: N/A Use: n/a Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.
Etymological Evidence:
Definite, From the place name Reims (AF/Middle French Reins), in the Champagne region of France.
The OED adds: 'The word was formerly generally believed to derive from an English version of Rennes, the name of a city in Brittany. This opinion goes back at least to the early 19th cent. (hence the form Rennes in quot. 1822 at sense 2). It is true that Raynes is attested in late Middle English as a form of the names of both Rennes (so e.g. in 1489 in the Paston Letters) and Rheims (so e.g. in quot. 1485 at anoint v. 2a), and that linen was produced in both cities, which evidently contributed to the uncertainty regarding the etymology. However, the contemporary evidence both in the Romance languages and in post-classical Latin makes it clear that the name of the fabric is derived from Rheims, not Rennes' [s.v. 'Raines, n.', OED, 3rd ed., June 2008; online version June 2011: <http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/157588>; accessed 23 August 2011.].
Cf. Moules (1946).
WF:
Etym Cog:
