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The Lexis of Cloth and Clothing Project
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handcloth

, hand + cloth.
Searchable Lemmata: handclaþ (OE), honde cloth (ME), hand cloth (MdE).
Alternate Forms: handcloðes.

    Definitions and Defining Citations:

1a(n.) Textile; napkin or towel. Occasionally, the term is used to refer specifically to a towel used during the performance of mass.(ante 1000 - 1500)
1. Ic geseo godes engel standende ætforan þe mid handclaðe: & wipað ðine swatigan leomu: nu halsie ic ðe þurh god. þæt ðu me ne forlæte. [DOE ÆCHom I, 29 (0133 (424.170))]
2. Ðe chire[che] cloðes ben to brokene ... Ðe corporeals sole and unshapliche; hire handcloðes and hire bord cloðes makede wite ... Ðe meshakele of medeme fustane ... Hire chemise smal and hwit ... and hire smoc hwit ... and hire winpel wit oðer maked geleu mid saffran(citations from individual page of text may not appear in original order) [MED Trin.Hom. ((Trin-C B.14.52) 163) ante 1225]
3. [449] ... Table, towayle, et nape; Boorde, handcloth, and metecloth. ... [551] ... Corn de bugle ride de seie: Bauderik of sylke. [MED Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale ((Cmb Ee.4.20) 499, 551) circa 1350]
4. Hoc manitergium: a handclothe. [MED Lndsb.Nominale (773/10) ante 1500]
c.f.: manutergium, handlin
ME, OE; Body Part.
Sex: Male, Female    Use: Ecclesiastical    Ceremonial: Yes
Body Parts: Hand.
1b(n.) Textile; cloth in general.(ante 1100)
1. Vespera : handclath. it is likely the scribe has written 'vespera' for 'vestera' [DOE CollGl 30.2 (Ker) (0007 (7))]
OE; Primarily Gloss; Body Part.
Sex: Male, Female    Status: n/a    Rank: n/a    Ceremonial: Yes
Body Parts: Hand.

    Etymological Evidence:

Speculative, Possibly a loan translation of the Latin manutergium.
WF: Compound
Etym Cog:
References:
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