erminé
.
Searchable Lemmata: erminé (AF), ermine (ME).
Alternate Forms: ermyne, ermynee.
Definitions and Defining Citations:
1(adj.)
Decoration;
'of ermine' in heraldry (cf. ermine, sense 3), a pattern of black spots or designs on a white field. Sometimes (as in the Middle English examples below) referring to what is known in later heraldic usage as 'fur ermines' or 'contre-hermine': the reverse of the normal design, consisting of a black field with white spots ('sable ermine').(circa 1400 - circa 1460 ?)
1. [322] ... Le Duc de Burgoigne quartlee en la premiere d’azure a j floret d’or. ... [323] ... le Conte Randolf de Chestre porte d’azure ové trois garbes d’or ... Le Conte de Devenshire port d’or ové trois gastels de goules ové un lambel d’azur ... [324] ... Le baron de S. porte d’or a une cheveron de goules ermynee ... R. M. port d’azure ové troys barres d’or ové trois pens recopez, deux d’azure, un d’or ové le’ cornor’ gerunés ové un escuchon d’argent ... [326] ... port de goules et d’argent barrés de viij peces ... [327] ... R. de R. port de goules ové deux gemeux et une chief d’or ...
[AND Grimaldi (322-327) circa 1400/1450]
Sex: N/A Ceremonial: Yes
Body Parts: N/A.
Etymological Evidence:
Speculative, the early forms appear to be < French adjectival forms of ermine (q.v.); note the contrast in present citation 2 between Middle English ermyn 'ermine' and Middle English ermyne 'fur ermines, the reverse of ermine'. The OED has the word ermines, first attested in English from the later sixteenth century, in the latter sense; it suggests that form is possibly adapted from Old French herminès, the plural of herminet, diminuative of hermine 'ermine'; but the present word may in fact be an earlier example.
WF: Derivation
Etym Cog:
References:
