Searchable Lemmata: linen (OE), linen (ME), linen (AF), linen (OScots), linen (MdE), linin (ME), linin (Co).
Alternate Forms: linin, linnen, linnene, lynnyn, lynenyn, lynnen, lynen.
1(n.)
Textile;
fibre of the flax plant; cloth woven from flax, made from the spun bast fibre; also (by extension) a piece of such cloth. Anne Sutton notes that linen formed an important part of the mercery trade, and was manufactured in Wilton, near Winchester, from the later 12th century, and also in Aylsham [Sutton, A.F. (2005), 4].(ante 700 still in current use)
1. Lana a laniando, id est a vellendo, vocata: hinc et vellus dictum, quod prius lanae vellerentur, non tonderentur. Linum ex terra oritur, deflexumque nomen eius a Graeco; nam linum Graeci LINARION dicunt; sive quod sit molle et lene.
[DOE ISID. Etym. (19,27,1)]
3. I sau3 ... Wollene websteris and weueris of lynen [vrr. lynene, lynnen, lynnene, lennyn] ...Taillours, tanneris & tokkeris [vrr. towkers, Tokers, toucheris] boþe, Masonis, mynours, & manye oþere craftis
Poetic, Vision.
[MED PPl.A(1) ((Trin-C R.3.14) prol.99-100) circa 1400]
Sex: N/A Use: n/a Status: n/a Rank: n/a Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.
1a(adj.)
Textile;
spun from flax; being made of linen cloth (cf. the following senses). Along with a number of other items including medical cloth, this term is used to describe many ecclesiastical vestments that otherwise might be referred to with the collective substantive, cf. lin.(ante 1000 still in current use)
1. & Eadgyfe twa mydrecan & þæraninnan hyre betsþe bedwahrift & linnenne ruwan & eal þæt bedref þe þærto gebyreð & hyre betstan dunnan tunecan & hyre beteran mentel & hyre twa treowenan gesplottude cuppan & hyre ealdan gewiredan preon is an VI mancussum.
Wills.
[DOE Ch 1539 (Whitelock 3) (0029 (69)) 900/1100]
8. et cum se inclinasset uidit possita linteamina non tamen introiuit : & miððy hine gibeg gisæh gisette ða lineno hrægl ne hweðre ineode.
[DOE JnGl (Ru) (0826 (20.5))]
9. Haud est huic apoplexia cure, sed et astu nullos angustat, solet idem antiquare amartetes, aginat uenerem, portat anaboladia : ne is þysum þrowendlic deað begymen ac eac ænig ne genyrwð gewunað se sylua gecian þa earman he forflycð galscipe he byrð linenne wæuels.
[DOE Abbo (0059 (110.8)) circa 890/896]
10. Gif men eglað seo blace blegen, þonne nime man great sealt, bærne on linenum claðe swa micel swa an æg, grinde þonne þæt sealt swiþe smæl, nime þonne þreora ægra geolcan, swinge hit swiðe togædere & lege hit VI niht þærto, nim þonne eorðnafelan & grundeswylian & cawelleaf & eald smera, cnuca þæt eal tosomne & lege hit þreo niht þærto, nim þonne gearwan & grundewylian & bræmbelleaf & clæne spic, cnuca togædere & lege þærto, him bið sona sel, oððæt hit hal sy, & ne cume þær æt nan wæta, butan of þan wyrtan sylfan.
[DOE Med 3 (Grattan-Singer) (0098 (91.1))]
11. Ac þonne þu hit tostinge oþþe sniþe þonne hafa þe linenne wætlan gearone þæt þu þæt dolh sona mid forwriðe & þonne þu hit eft ma lætan wille teoh þone wætlan of, læt lytlum swa oþþæt hit adrugie.
[DOE Lch II (2) (0124 (22.2.8)) circa 900]
12. And þonne hy gesmyrede beoð, do him on linene meon, and hæbbe hy on ealswa we ær cwædon be þam linenum glofum, þæt is to byrgenne, gif him swa getimað.
[DOE Lit 5.11.21 (Fehr) (0002 (1))]
13. & scrydde ðone bisceop mid linenum reafe & gyrde hine & dyde ymbe hine blæhæwene tunecan & lede eaxclað ofer hine.
[DOE Lev (0057 (8.7))]
14. Ða com eac Nichodemus. mid gemengedre sealfe. of myrran. and alwan. manegra punda gewyht. and hi bewundon his lic. mid linenre scytan. gedeced mid wyrtum. swa swa heora gewuna wæs;
[DOE ÆCHom II, 14.1 (0146 (149.340))]
16. Quibusdamautem nationibus sua cuique propria vestis est, ut Parthis sarabarae, Gallis linnae, Germanis renones, Hispanis stringes, Sardis mastrucae.
[DOE ISID. Etym. (19,23,1)]
18. Et depositum inuoluit sindone et posuit eum in monumento excisso in quo nondum quisquam positus fuerat : & miððy ofasette ł innbewand mið linene hrægle & gesette hine in byrgenne ł aheawun ł in ðæm ne ðaget ænig monn gesettet wæs.
[DOE LkGl (Li) (1096 (23.53))]
20. [23.5] ... Thei don alle her werkis, that thei be seen of men; forsothe thei alargen her filateries, that ben smale scrowis. ... [27.60]. ... Joseph wlappide it in a clene sendel, or lynnen cloth
Biblical/Hagiographic.
[MED WBible(1) ((Dc 369(2)) Mat.23.5-27.60) ante 1425]
Sex: N/A Use: n/a Status: n/a Rank: n/a Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.
2b(adj.)
Textile;
in specific uses, the garment in which the body of Christ was wrapped, cf. sindon and the previous connotations.1. petrus autem surgens cucurrit ad momumentum et procumbens uidit linteamina posita et abiit secum mirans quod factum fuerat : ðonne aras gearn to ðæm byrgenne & gebegde l gesæh ða linen hrægla gesettedo & ðona eoda mið him wundrade þætte aworden wæs.
[DOE LkGl (Li) (1111 (24.12))]
Sex: Male, Female Ceremonial: No
Body Parts:
Definite, From Old English lín, línen, linnen (cf. Old Frisian linnen, Old High German linin, Latin linea, linum). The suggestion that hemp is a material associated with linen was suggested by Johnson's Dictionary and by subsequent dictionaries. In fact archaeological hemp cloth is not easiily distinguished from flax, and the contribution of hemp to the medieval economy may have been underestimated.
WF:
Etym Cog:
References:
