espalet
.
Searchable Lemmata: espalet (AF).
Alternate Forms: espale, espalés.
Definitions and Defining Citations:
1(n.)
Garment;
an upper garment, particularly associated with the military, covering or hanging from the shoulders.(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]
Sex: Male Use: Military Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: Back, Chest, Shoulder(s).
Etymological Evidence:
Speculative, from Anglo-French/Old French espal(l)e 'shoulder' (< Latin spatula, variant of spathula 'spatula, small flat tool (dimin. of spatha), used of the shoulder-blade); AND infers a basic form *espalet (with diminutive suffix -et(te)), i.e. a form corresponding to Old French espaulete, espalet (second half of the thirteenth century); but this is not absolutely required. Modern English epaulet/epaulette is a reborrowing from French in the eighteenth century. Cf. espauler (sense 2).
WF:
Etym Cog:
References:
