brail
.
Searchable Lemmata: bracale (L), bracalis (L) brael (AF), brailers (AF), braiellum (L), braierium (L), braie (AF), brail (ME), brail (MdE).
Alternate Forms: bracali, bracalium, braccalis, braele, braelleys, braello, brahel, braihel, braiel, brail, braiol, braoil, braer, braiella, braierio, braheals, braelis, braels, braeuz, breelles, braelleis, braylers.
Definitions and Defining Citations:
1(n.)
Accessory;
breech-girdle, belt or loin cloth (glosses L lumbarium); also anatomical: 'the waist'; leather thong or strap; drawers or breeches. Often difficult to distinguish between senses (particularly with L attestations). In later (primarily post 1450), often refers to a small rope or tie used to tie up (a sail, a curtain, etc.).(circa 1170 - 1327)
3. pro uno bracali ad opus domini regis unde tela venit de garderoba et argentum ... ponderabat vj s. et aurum ad deaurandum constitit ij s.
Accounts.
[DMLBS Misae (257) 1213]
5. [99r] ... Seer covient al pessel (ME swynglestok) Pur escuche (l. escucher) checun brin ... Et dunc prendrez le conoil (ME rock), s’en frez un bel conaistroil ... [104v] ... Si ert le chartil de bons braheals (ME wyythes) Ferm lyez as esseal
[AND BIBB ((B) 99r-104v) circa 1250]
8. [67] ... lumbaribus: braylers, de braelleys ... capucium: chaperon ... lupatum: chanfren, chanefren ... laciniis: des espauns, anglice gores ... [68] ... beverina: de bevere, lutre ... pulvillum: baz, bace, la bas ... tapetum: cape vel chaluns, cape ... [68.64] ... vestis stragulata: vesture rayé ... [69] ... indumenta: fulemens ... ad opus anaglapharium: burdure, a sutil evere a fere ... tecam: deeyl, deel, delley
Gloss.
[AND TLL (ii 67-69) ante 1300]
9. [91] ... sindone: cendal ... lumbaribus: brailers ... stragulata: chalun de Reins ... [92] ... criniali: par large kele, garlonde, de un bende de chef ... [93] ... nichiteria: cholers .i. chaumpiuns ... [93.71] ... manicis: espaces, manicles ... [93.72] ... fimbriis: par lurlures (l. par l'urlures)
Gloss.
[AND TLL (ii 91-93) ante 1300]
11. [350] ... colerettus munitus auro, petris et perlis ... [352] ... unum bracale de laqueis de serico coopertum de samite rubeo munitum argento ... [355] ... una cresta cum clavis argenti pro eodem capello [ferreo]
Accounts.
[DMLBS Ac. Wardr. (pp. 350-355) 1300]
12. [10] pro factura vj bracalium de corio et iiij bracalium de samit' provisorum pro corpore dicti domini [principis] ... [10d] ... [armurario principis] pro iiij cerevellar' pro ij capellis ferreis et j bacinetto cum visera et j caccide principis, factis de sindone et serico ... [23] ... ad unam tunicam de armis ... sibi faciendam pro hastiludiis, ... ut in ... serico, sindone et carda, corio pro alettiis et aliis rebus
Accounts, Legal.
[DMLBS KR (Ac 363/18 f. 10-23) 1303]
Ceremonial: No
Body Parts:
Etymological Evidence:
Definite, ultimately Classical Latin bracale 'breech-girdle, belt' etc. (in plural often as bracalis 'breeches'), a derivation of bracae (q.v.) 'breeches'. The Latin continued in French as braiel, brael; in the medieval period this was subsequently re-Latinised as braellum (etc.), as the connection between F. brael and L. bracale/bracalis was not always recognised.
The sense '(breech)girdle' gave a more general meaning of 'encircling band, linking cord' in French and this was specialised to mean a type of rope used to haul sails; this sense is attested in Middle English. The anatomical sense 'middle parts' is also found in fifteenth-century ME. The sense 'breeches' or 'breechgirdle' are not, however, attested in Middle English.
WF: Borrowed into the British Isles
Etym Cog:
References:
