cheinse
.
Searchable Lemmata: cheinse (AF), chansia (L).
Alternate Forms: caince, canse, cence, chainse, cheince, cheins, chens, chense, chinche, chonsus, cinc, cince, cinche, cinse, csince, geinse, keinse, kense, scince, thausias.
Definitions and Defining Citations:
1a(n.)
Textile;
in general, a cloth of muslin, sindon, byss or similar fine linen; often used elliptically for specific items of cloth and clothing as in senses 1b-1e below. For further discussion see H. Davidson's article in Owen-Crocker, G. R., et al. (2011).(1200 - 1300)
1. [97] ... sindonis: cheince ... [98] ... mataxa: serence, hechele ... flamea: cheinse ... [99] ... colaria: colers ... consuendum: decustre ... duplici: duble ... inaures: hournemens de orailis
Gloss.
[AND TLL (ii 97-99) ante 1300]
2. thoral: chalun ... velum: veil vel cuverture de lyt ... nimbus: chapeus ... byssinas: cheinse ... catella: escheletes
Gloss.
[AND TLL (ii 57) ante 1300]
Sex: N/A Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.
1b(n.)
Textile;
strip or piece of cloth (prob. of linen or similar); swaddling-cloth.(1200 - 1300)
Sex: N/A Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.
1c(n.)
Accessory;
girdle; a band (of linen) [cf. 1b above].(1200 - 1300)
1. acus: agulz ... instita: cheinse ... corrolla: coife de quir ... spinter: afiçal, erpin ... monile: affermail, noche ... filarium: filer, fusyl
Gloss.
[AND TLL (ii 111) ante 1300]
Sex: N/A Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.
1d(n.)
Garment;
light, possibly wrapping garment of some kind; a chemise or shift; also 'cheinse a dame', [woman's] robe or gown (AND2). Some instances associate the word with a mourning garment, shroud or similar.
Certain French authorities (and subsequently some costume historians) suggest specific garments are intended. For women, they suggest a 'Longue tunique de femme, à manches, robe faite de toile de lin ou de chanvre' [such as Enide's ragged dress in Chrétien de Troyes' 'Erec and Enide']. For men in the fourteenth century (less frequent), they suggest a 'Tunique à manches portée par les hommes à même le corps', worn in token of humility or poverty. Also, a piece of linen material; a vernicle.
['CHAINSE, subst. fém. et masc.', Dictionnaire du Moyen Français (2009), ATILF, accessed 16th August 2010; <http://atilf.atilf.fr/gsouvay/scripts/dmfX.exe?LEX_ENTREE_INITIALES;BALISE=LEM;BACK;;ISIS=isis_dmf2009.txt;OUVRIR_MENU=2;s=s0f202c58;>.
Such continental uses are not attested in any of the British historical dictionaries and must be kept distinct from from insular uses.(circa 1200 - circa 1300)
1. perquiri faciatis ad opus regine uxoris nostre delicatam telam ad tres *thausias
Accounts.
[DMLBS Cl (4a) 1204]
3. pellicis: furreys ... talentum: besant ... bracteolas: braceroles ... stamineas gallice: stamin ... teristra: geinse a dam
Gloss.
[AND TLL (ii 146) ante 1300]
4. manutergia: tualles / braccas: bracce/ teristra : chenses / supara : rochet / staminas : estamin / flammeola : kevrechisy
[AND TLL (2,150,21) ante 1300]
Sex: Male, Female Ceremonial: No
Body Parts:
1e(n.)
Accessory;
kerchief made of linen.(1200 - 1300)
1. [97] ... sindonis: cheince ... [98] ... mataxa: serence, hechele ... flamea: cheinse ... [99] ... colaria: colers ... consuendum: decustre ... duplici: duble ... inaures: hournemens de orailis
Gloss.
[AND TLL (ii 97-99) ante 1300]
Sex: N/A Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.
1f(n.)
Furnishing;
bed-covering [AND2].(circa 1250)
1. E lur cinches aporterent e lé lur drapels, Si culcherent dormir devant moi ambedous
Ecclesiastic/Regula, Philosophy, Poetic.
[AND Vitas (4602) circa 1250]
Sex: N/A Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.
Etymological Evidence:
Definite, Anglo-French/Old French, suggested by French etytmological dictionaries to be a shortening of cheinsel (see chaisel), of roughly the same meanings, < medieval Latin camisile -is (see camissale) < camisia (see chemise).
Note also the Latin plural form reading 'thausias' in the nineteenth-century eidition of the Close Rolls [Rotuli litterarum clausarum, 2 vols. RC (1833, 1844)], for which the DMLBS suggests 'chainsas' - shifts or vests of some kind (sense 1d).
WF:
Etym Cog:
References:
