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azure

.
Searchable Lemmata: azure (AF), azurum (L), asure (ME), asur (W), asure (OScots), azure (MdE).
Alternate Forms: azeur, azeure, azor, azour, azer, azurs, asseur, asor, asour, asowr, asur, asure, assure, azura, azuria, asuram.

    Definitions and Defining Citations:

1a(n.) Raw Material; lapis lazuli (blue stone) or an enamel made from lapis lazuli.(ante 1200 still in current use)
1. [ ... ] scriptor habeat epicausterium centone [gl. feutre] coopertum ... [117] scriptor ... habeat et fuscum pulverem vel azuram a Salamone repertam Gloss. [DMLBS NECKAM (Ut. 116-117)]
2. [310a/b] ... The colour indicus & fenetus is blew colour ... also such colour is in azure; but here of loke tofore in tretys ... of þe stoon lazulus. ... [311a/a] ... Þey þat dyeþ wolle and cloþe ben y-cleped dyeres ... Stibium is a feyned colour y-made of Cerusa and of oþer þinges medled; þer wiþ wymmen peynted here face ... [318a/b] ... Þe machche is made of hempene þreed. Philosophy. [MED *Trev.Barth. ((Add 27944) 310a/b-318a/b) ante 1398]
3. Syr Rosier asur aesawr, / Syr Rosier o’r Mortimer mawr. Poetic. [GPC GIG (84.1-2) circa 1350/1360]
4. Owmal y wlad, leiddiad Lŷr, / Yw penwisg fy nyn poenwyr; / Ac asur ar gyswllt iad / Yn gwasgu combr yw’r gwisgiad. Poetic. [GPC GDG (119)]
AF, L, ME, MdE.
Sex: N/A    Use: n/a    Ceremonial: No
Body Parts:
1b(n.) Dye; the colour azure, bright or sky-blue colour or pigment; also as an adj. Originally this dye or pigment was made from powdered lapis lazuli, ultramarine.(ante 700 still in current use)
1. De azur: Prenge ewe de funtaine et de la gume arabica ... et quisez en un' escale de of. Puis lavez l'azur en un bacin [AND Colour Treatise (206) circa 1150/1200]
2. [230.36] ... Nus home ke la curtine veit Ne poet saver dunt le drap seit ... [233.2] ... Virent les ymages depeintes De sinople & de asur teintes Biblical/Hagiographic. [AND Mir N-D (230.36-233.52) circa 1240]
3. For the lyuerey Skarlett and azer blwe. Accounts. [MED Grocer Lond. ((Kingdon) 250/18) circa 1439]
4. For to make fyn azure withoute past ... take lapis lazuli, the ston [etc.] ... Azure bis. Take and grynd ... whit leed ... with the juse of a blewe flour that groweth in corn in somer [etc.]. Other. [MED Recipe Painting(2) in Archaeol.J.1 ((Sln 73) 155) ante 1475]
5. Paladyr llinwyd palatyrgrwn yn y law, gwedy y liwav ac asur glas. Romance. [GPC BRh (48. 6-7)]
AF, L, ME, MdE, OScots.
Sex: N/A    Use: n/a    Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.
1c(n.) Decoration; azure-blue in heradry; also as an adj. Azure is one of the five standard colours in coats of arms.(ante 1300 still in current use)
1. A kni3t he was of gret priis ... Alle he was couched wiþ azur, Of gold þer were four bore heuedes ybete. Arthurian, Heroic, Poetic, Romance. (work: ?a1300) [MED Arth.& M. ((Auch) 5642) circa 1330]
2. in quadam causa de et super armis de azura cum una benda de auro Accounts. [DMLBS Foed. (VII 621) 1389]
3. Ye armys of Oxforth. They ber asur, a boke overt with vij clospys gold betwyx iij crownys. [MED Arms Oxf.in Antiq.37 ((Hrl 2259) 210) circa 1452]
4. portat de auro cum tribus tortellis rubeis cum una labella de azorio; G. il port d'or troys torteux de gowles ove une labelle de asur(cf. ib. 185; de asorio) [DMLBS BAD. AUR. (184)]
AF, ME, MdE, OScots.
Sex: Male, Female, Infant    Ceremonial: Yes
Body Parts: N/A.
1d(n.) Textile; blue silk.(ante 1400 - ante 1500 ?)
1. sylke, ... sericum ... : quadruplicis generis sunt serica dicta Latinis; / est album bissus velut est asura jacinctus Gloss. [DMLBS CathA (asura) circa 1483]
2. Mi a’i gwelais, lednais lyw, / Dydd anrhaith, nad oedd unrhyw, / Yng nghôr, fy ngharw, yng nghyhudd, / Yng Nghaer fardd Emrys ynghudd, / Corff mawr ar y llawr gerllaw, / A’i genedl yn ei gwynaw, / A’i wayw ar gae, gwae a’i gŵyl, / A’i emys yn ei ymyl, / A’i lem lifiad, drem drydoll, / A’i aesawr, âi i’r llawr oll, / A’i bebyll didywyll du, / Nêr, a’i faner i fyny, /A’i arwyl a’i hwyl hyloyw, / A’i guras a’i helm las loyw, / A’i seirch yn gyfryw â syr, / A’i eisiau yn ei asur. Poetic. [GPC GIG (34. VII. 41-56) circa 1350/1360]
L.
Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.

    Etymological Evidence:

Definite, Old French azur, asur and Medieval Latin azura, azzurum, etc., originally referring to the stone lapis lazuli, < Arabic al-lazward < Persian lāzhward 'lapus lazuli, blue colour'.
WF: Borrowed into the British Isles
Etym Cog: azure (OF).
References:
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