Searchable Lemmata: spinnan (OE), spinnen (ME), spin (MdE).
Alternate Forms: aspinnan.
1(vb.)
Manufacture;
to spin (cf. ME spinnen, OE spinnan). To pull out and twist fibres evenly using the fingers and a spindle and whorl or, from th elater Middle Ages, a spinning wheel, in order to produce long lengths of thread suitable for sewing and weaving.
To spin; prodominately represented as a female craft, but not always representing the manufacture of cloth thread.(circa 1000 still in current use)
2. GENERIS FEMININI illa heo, illius hyre; illa suit heo <siwað>, illius opus hyre weorc, illi do <aliquid> hire ic forgife sum ðingc, illam odi hig ic hatige, ab illa discessi fram hyre ic gewat; ET PLVRALITER <illae><nent> lanam hig spinnað wulle, illarum uestis est heora hrægl hit is, illas uitupero hig ic tæle, ab illis uenit nobis bonum fram him us com god.
[DOE ÆGram (0620 (97.5))]
3. Sceawiaþ þa lilian hu hi wexað, hi ne swincað ne ne spinnað; Soðlice ic eow secge þæt Salomon on eallum hys wuldre næs gescrydd swa þissa an.
[DOE Lk (WSCp) (0533 (12.27))]
4. Wið ceocadle nim þone hweorfan þe wif mid spinnað, bind on his sweoran mid wyllenan þræde & swile innan mid hate gate meolce.
[DOE Lch II (3) (0040 (6.1.1))]
5. et de uestimento quid soliciti estis considerate lilia agri quomodo crescunt non laborant nec neunt : & be hræglę ł forhwon sorgiaþ ge sceawigaþ lilia londes hu hie waexaþ ne winnaþ ne spinnaþ.
[DOE MtGl (Ru) (0159 (6.28))]
6. meo ergo cum capillis uertici galea salutis esto, capiti fronti oculis et cerebro triformi, rostro labiae facie timpori, mento barbae supercilis auribus genis buccis internasso, naribus pupillis rotis palpebris, tautonibus gingis anile maxillis et faucibus dentibus lingue ori uuae guttori gurgilioni et sublingue ceruice capitali ceutro cartilagini minum : soþlice hneofulan egan & brægene þam þryfealdan nebbe weolure onsyne ðunnwengan cinne bearde ofer bruum earum heagospinnum smerum næsgristlan nosu sion eghringum brawan oferbruum toðreomum oroðe ceacum & goman hrectungan hræcean ðrot bollan tung eðrum swioran heafudponnan swiran gristlan.
[DOE LorGl 2 (Kuypers) (0011 (25))]
Sex: Female Ceremonial: No
Body Parts:
2(vb.) ;
appears in figurative contexts. Appears in surnames from the end of the thirteenth century (Will. Spinsmal., etc.).
Ceremonial: No
Body Parts:
Definite, native English word, with various Germanic cognates (Old Frisian spinna, Low German spinnen, Old Norse spinna). The root has been related to that of the verb span (q.v.) 'fasten, draw tight', though no certain earlier PIE etymology has been proven.
WF:
Etym Cog: spinna.
References:
