erpin
.
Searchable Lemmata: erpin (AF).
Alternate Forms: Unique.
Definitions and Defining Citations:
1(n.)
Jewellery;
probably a hairpin; possibly used more loosely for a decorative pin or brooch.(circa 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: Female Use: n/a Ceremonial: No
Body Parts:
Etymological Evidence:
Speculative, the form cannot be easily explained within French; it is most likely a borrowing of English 'hairpin'. Such an origin presents certain problems, principally that the OED has no instances of the term hairpin predating the nineteenth century, nor does the word appear in the MED.
The phonology is reasonable; ME her, hēr would be fairly represented by AF er- (Modern English hair has an anomalous pronunciation, and it is coincidence that it resembles the earlier form), and the word pin (in Old English < Latin pinna) did not exist in early French. The balance of probabilities is that the word represents a precocious Middle English instance of 'hairpin'; generally in ME the word pin, pinne on its own could stand for hairpin (see entry at pin).
WF: Compound
Etym Cog:
References:
