twill
.
Searchable Lemmata: twile (ME), tweill (OScots), twill (MdE), tweel (MdE).
Alternate Forms: tuyle, tweel, twel, tweyl, tweyll, twille, twyle, twylecloth, twyll.
Definitions and Defining Citations:
1(adj.)
Textile;
an originally northern English dialect and Scots forms of the Middle English term twilly (q.v.): fabric in which the weft thread passes over and under two or more warp threads and moves to the left or right after each pass, creating a diagonal or herringbone pattern (achieved by the use of heddles).(circa 1330 still in current use)
5. Do et lego ... Katerinae ... Unam tuellam de twill cum nigris lystez ... duas tuellas cum planis egges ... Unam tuellam latam de amys werke ... Unam tuellam quatuor ulnarum longitudinis minus le nale.
Wills.
[MED Will York in Sur.Soc.30 (49) 1433]
Sex: N/A Ceremonial: No
Body Parts:
Etymological Evidence:
Definite, dialect forms of twilly (q.v.), found in northern English and Older Scots with a common dropping of the final vowel and often compensatory lengthening of the medial vowel (e.g. in forms such as OScots tweyll, later Scots tweel).
WF: Derivation
Etym Cog: twili.
References:
