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chaisel

.
Searchable Lemmata: cheinsil (AF), cainsilum (L), cheisil (ME), chaisel (MdE), cheisil (MdE).
Alternate Forms: cainsilii, chaysel, cheiselne, chesel, cheysel, cheysil.

    Definitions and Defining Citations:

1(n.) Textile; fine linen, sometimes identified with byss (L byssus). Also used attributively (as an adjective).(circa 1130 - ante 1400 ?)
1. emptione ... manutergiorum et bacinorum et cainsilii ad opus regis Accounts. [DMLBS Pipe (144) 1130]
2. plus blancs de cheinsil ne cotun Biblical/Hagiographic. [AND S Aub (1721) circa 1235]
3. cheinsil e purpre e seie e riches colurs Biblical/Hagiographic. [AND Apoc (3429) circa 1250/1300]
4. Arður þe stronge warp he an his rugge a ræf swiðe deore, ænne cheisil [Otho: cheiselne] scurte & ænne pallene curtel, ænne burne swiðe deore Heroic, Historic. (as an adjective) [MED Lay.Brut ((Clg A.9) 23761-2) circa 1275]
5. epitogium : surcote, penula : furrure, manubium : manche, birrus : gerurs, opus : overayne, extivale : estivur, sindo : sendel, sericum : seye, bissus : chesel, linum : checes de flax, experiolus : esquirel [AND TLL (2,82,23-26)]
6. bissi : de cheisil Nequam, de Nominibus Utensililium: Camisia sindonis vel serici vel bissi vel saltem lini materiam sortiatur (1,182,17-18). [AND TLL (2,91) circa 1200/1300]
7. Goth ... and maketh a bed ... Of quoiltene and of materasz, of cheisel and of palle. Biblical/Hagiographic. [MED SLeg. ((LdMisc 108) 188/125) circa 1300]
c.f.: byss, camissale, cheinse
AF, L, ME.
Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.
1b(n.) Garment; garment made from chaisel, linen (typically an overgarment); a cloak or robe (casula)?(circa 1200 - ante 1300)
1. mateaxas: ceren[c]les, hechilis ... casula: un chensel ... armilausas: (vestes tegentes armos .i. scapulos) espalés ... biri: vestur, gironet (l. gironer) ... collobia: frocs, gulunis Gloss. [AND TLL (ii 60) ante 1300]
2. A þynne cheysel he hadde on; þe gywes hit vnder3ete ... Hi helde him by þe cheysel ... Þat cheysel he lefte and al bar ffram ham ffley anon Biblical/Hagiographic. [MED SLeg.Pass. ((Pep 2344) 1169) ante 1325]
3. 3e hadde on a pilche of pris And a chaisel þer on, iwis. Heroic, Historic, Poetic. [MED 7 Sages(1) ((Auch) 79/94c) circa 1330]
AF, ME.
Ceremonial: No
Body Parts:

    Etymological Evidence:

Definite, Anglo-French < Old French chei(n)sil, chai(n)sil < Latin camisile, -is (camissale, q.v.) < camisia (q.v.), attested in Old French from the tenth century. Camisile, camissale appears to have referred to the garment (see camissale) but the usual later meaning was of the linen cloth (from which such garments could be made). There there is a close relationship between this word and cheinse (q.v.) which similarly had senses both of fine linen fabric and a garment, and that word is normally supposed (e.g. by Tresor de la Langue Francaise) to be a shortening of the present word.
WF: Borrowed into the British Isles
Etym Cog:
References:
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