Searchable Lemmata: seoluc (OE), silke (ME), silk (OScots), silke (MdE).
Alternate Forms: seolc, seolcel, silc, siulke, selk, selke, selc, cilke, seolk, seolke, solke, self, sik.
1(n.)
Raw Material;
fine continuous protein fibre consisting primarily of fibroin filaments and secreted by various insects, but especially the larvae of the moth Bombyx mori, or silkworm. By extension, a textile which is woven using silk yarns; a garment, soft furnishing, etc. made from this textile; a silken garment.
Silk was a prominent commodity in the mercery trade (and elsewhere). Anne Sutton notes that silk was first produced in China from around 1500-1000 BC, and subsequently in Persia & Syria, and in Byzantium by the 5th century. Silk had reached the British Isles by the 7th century both as thread for embroidery and as cloth, where it was especially valued for ecclesiastical textiles including vestments. Asian and Persian silk cloths were among treasures amassed in Anglo-Saxon England. By the 11th century silk was relatively common in England, both in the form of narrow wares -- such as ribbons, cords and bands -- as well as for embroidery and large textiles. Venice was a chief exporter of woven silk by the 12th century, while the destruction of Constantinople in 1204 during the Fourth Crusade led to the loss of that city's silk industry. 'Crimson silks of China' are mentioned in London accounts before 1183 [Owen-Crocker, G.R. (2004), 298-302; Sutton, A.F. (2005), 3-4].(ante 1100 still in current use)
2. et in serico et in pannis libido dominatur nec regum purpuram temnit nec mendicantium spernit squalorem id est sordem : & on seolce & on cildclaþum galnys wealt na cyninga purpuran forhogað ne wædligendra forhogað fylþe.
[DOE LibSc (0813 (21.20))]
5. Þis sint tacn, þæt him se lichoma eall abiterað & ageolwað swa god seoluc & him beoð under tungan tulge swearte ædra & yfele & him bið micge geolu.
[DOE Lch II (1) (0521 (42.1.2))]
7. Næs þa scealca nan þe mete oððe drinc mængan cuðe, wæter wið hunige, ne heora wæda þon ma sioloce siowian, ne hi siarocræftum godweb giredon, ne hi gimreced setton searolice, ac hi simle him eallum tidum ute slepon under beamsceade, druncon burnan wæter, calde wyllan.
[DOE Met (0097 (8.21))]
8. Wið hærscearde, hwit cwudu gecnuwa swiðe smale, do æges þæt hwite to & meng swa þu dest teafor, onsnið mid seaxse seowa mid seolce fæste smire mid þonne mid þære sealfe utan & innan ær se seoloc rotige gif tosomne teo rece mid handa smire eftsona.
[DOE Lch II (1) (0234 (13.1.1))]
10. [Ex.25.4] Thes ben þe þingis þat 3e schullen take ... coccum twyse dyed, þat is, silc of flamme colour, mene bytwix reed & 3alow ... [Ex.25.5] Skynnes of weþers made reede & skynnes Iacynktynes [WB(2): of iacynt; L janthinas].
Biblical/Hagiographic.
[MED WBible(1) ((Bod 959) Ex.25.4-5) ante 1382]
11. [3235] ... A ceynt she wered, barred, al of silk. ... [3236] ... A barmcloth as whit as morne mylk Vpon hir lendes, ful of many a goore. ... [3238] ... Whit was hir smok, and broyden al bifore And eek bihynde ... [3243] ... Hir filet brood of silk and set ful hye.
Poetic.
[MED Chaucer CT.Mil. ((Manly-Rickert) A.3235-3243) circa 1390]
12. [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]
13. Item ij dossen et ix de gurdell' ... vs. vjd.
Item iij li. de selke ... xlijs.
Item j gros poyntes ... xvjd.
Item di. dossen de purses ... xijd.
Item j li. de Iverycombez ... vjs. viijd.
...
Item ix gurdell Thred ... iijs. vjd.
Item j gros Poyntes ... xvjd.
...
Item iij Pursez de Roo ... [pris] xijd.
Item j pec. de kerchevys de Flaundrez ... ijs. vjd.
Item iv li. thred ... iiijs.
Item j serce de selke ... ijs.
Accounts.
[LexP Bristol Customs Searchers (p. 51, no. 38.B) ante 1399/1413]
14. [13.47] ... A wullun clooth, or lynnen ... hath a lepre in the oof, or in the werpe [WB(2): warp ethir oof; L stamine atque subtegmine] ... [14.4] ... He shal comaunde ... that he offre ... flawm reed silk [Bod 959: vermycle; WB(2): vermylyoun; Gloss.: that is, a reed threed; L vermiculum] and ysope ... [14/51] ... He shal take the ... fier reed silk
Biblical/Hagiographic.
[MED WBible(1) ((Corp-O 4) Lev.13.47-14.51) ante 1425]
17. 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: Male, Female Use: n/a Status: High Rank: High Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.
1b(n.)
Textile;
appears in compounds: selkwyf, silkwoman, silkman, sylkthrowster, silk-werk, silkworm.(1384 still in current use)
Sex: Male, Female Use: n/a Status: n/a Rank: n/a Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.
1c(n.)
Textile;
appears in surnames [Selke (1170), Silkeswone (1201), Silke (c1277), Silketop (1327), Selke (1327), Selkwimman (1334), Silkman (1374-5), Silkman (1397), Selk (1431)]; and as an apparent adjective in a surname [Roger Slketypet, (1330) - from 'silke, n.' and 'silke, adj.', MED].(1170 still in current use)
Sex: Male, Female Use: n/a Status: n/a Rank: n/a Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.
2(adj.)
Textile;
silken, made of or consisting of silk (often indistinguishable from 1a).(ante 1375 still in current use)
Sex: N/A Use: n/a Status: n/a Rank: n/a Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.
