< University of Manchester, Lexis of Cloth & Clothing Project, Search Result For: 'surcoat'
| Skip to main content | Skip to navigation | Skip to Search |

[University home]

The Lexis of Cloth and Clothing Project
    Expand All     Collapse All     Print Page

surcoat

, sur + coat.
Searchable Lemmata: surcote (AF), surcote (ME), surcota (L), swrcot (W), cercot (Corn), surcotus (L), surcoat (MdE).
Alternate Forms: circote, sircote, sorcot, surcote, surcotes, surcotez, surcotte, surketis, syrket.

    Definitions and Defining Citations:

1a(n.) Garment; long overgarment. Frequently the surcoat is described as being worn by a knight over the hauberk or the armour in general, often richly adorned or with armorial bearings. In later use, became associated more generally with an overgarment in ceremonial and courtly dress.(ante 1200 still in current use)
1. hec supertunica: surcote ... hec capa duplex: cape furie ... hec manticapa: jape a maunches ... hoc fastrum: feuter ... hec fibula: tasel, lace ... hoc callobium: frok a moyne ... dicitur pro veste capa Gloss. (dates for MS uncertain) [AND Gloss St John2 (368) circa 1250/1300]
2. Dederantque signum inter se ut sic suos mutuo cognoscerunt in congressu cum Anglicis, ut Scotus dixeret, Anglice, Tabart, alter responderet Surcote, et e converso. [MED Military in Archaeol.19 (238) 1295]
3. [80] ... albedo: blanchisure ... panniculo: clotet, drap, drapelet ... [82] ... epitogium : surcote, penula : furrure, manubium : manche, birrus : gerurs, opus : overayne, extivale : estivur, sindo : sendel, sericum : seye, bissus : chesel, linum : checes de flax, experiolus : esquirel ... mantica: trusel vel sasel ... [83] ... opus anaglafarium: overaine levé Gloss. From Alexander Nequam's de Nominibus Utensilium. [AND TLL (ii 80-83) circa 1275]
4. caligis : chausis / caligo : chause / caligo : -gas/oscurir / caligo : oçcurté / hoc pede : forstelpel / pedica : calktrap / estivalibus : est[i]vaus / cusspida : hoce ' calceus : chausure / calx : talun / hec calx : chause / calleo : endu[r]cir / laqueatus : lacé / laqueus : gallice laçun, gallica laz vel surcote / lacus : laz de maysun / lacunar : post de maysun / camicia : chemise / cindo : sendel / sericum : seye / bissi : chesil / lini : lin / lino -nis : enoindre / mantellum : a femme / pallium : mantel a humme et a femme / pirolus, speriolus, eperiolus : idem sunt .s. esscurel / cuniculus : cuniz / ferrus : fer de cheval / ocrea : hose From Alexander of Nequam's de Utensilibus. Glosses on a list of items found in the church. [AND TLL (ii 118) circa 1275]
5. Kyt bythwnbard [sic] a phrydyd adetwyd ar swrcodeu. hi awydyat vyntwyllaw mynkyllaw a thybieu. [GPC R (1356. 37-9) circa 1400]
6. peri tynnv y arueu y am y marchawc a oruc y gwr llwyt, a'e adaw ynteu y mwyn peis o syndal coch a swrcot a ffwryr yndi o ermin gwynn. [GPC YSG (i. 5) circa 1400]
7. A foly thowe wirkkes, Thus nakede in thy noblaye to neghe to þe walles, Sengely in thy surcotte this cete to reche. Arthurian, Heroic, Romance. (work: ?a1400) [MED Morte Arth.(1) ((Thrn) 2434) circa 1440]
8. Of eche surcote [F surcoote], cote tabart, meptil ... or other maner of cloth schapyn. Legal. [MED Ipswich Domesday(2) ((Add 25011) 199) circa 1436]
9. Beryn ... vnlacyd his mantell ... And pryueliche ovir his schuldris lete hym downe glyde ... The Cripill ... hent hym by the scleve Of his nethir surcote.(work: ?c1400) [MED Beryn ((Nthld 55) 2430) circa 1460]
10. hethough cercot a baly, thotho me a vyn y ry [LexP Passio XPI (Norris) (1784)]
11. hag a cach an cercot vras ... denudatur alba et paratur purpuraRefers to the garment worn by Jesus at his trial. [LexP Passio XPI (Norris) (2074)]
12. A’r petweryd chwech a diodassant vy lludedwisc a dodi gwisc arall ymdanaf, nyt amgen, crys a llawdyr o’r bliant, a ffeis a swrcot a mantell o bali melyn ac orffreis lydan yn y vantell. Arthurian, Romance. [LexP O (Thomson) (3. 69-72) circa 1250]
13. Crysseu o sidan gwynn a oed am y uorwyn. a chayeu o rudeur rac y bronn. a swrcot o pali eureit ymdanei. ac yscin kyfryw a hi. a thaccet o rudeur yn y chynhal ymdanei. A ractal o rudeur am y phenn. a rudem a gem yn y ractal a mein mererit pob eilwers. ac amherodron vein. A gwregis o rudeur ymdanei. Romance. [GPC WM (91. 181. 31-40) circa 1350]
c.f.: epitogium, supercota, supertunic
AF, Co, ME, MdE, W.
Sex: Male    Use: Military    Ceremonial: No
Body Parts:
1b(n.) Garment; overgarment worn by women. By the fifteenth century, it is often described as part of official state dress or standard courtly attire, and occasionally shown displaying armorial bearings (although Scott, M. (2007), argues that this was symbolic in depictions rather than realised in dress). Cf. surcoat overt.(ante 1400 - post 1450)
1. Sche made here a surcote ... cutted by neþe þe hamme ... ylaced swyþe narwe. [MED Þo oure lord god ((Mrg M 957) p.320) ante 1400]
2. Than discendis ... down fra þe clowddez A duches dereworthily dyghte in dyaperde wedis In a surcott of sylke full selkouthely hewede ... all redily reuersside with rebanes of golde, Bruchez and besauntez and oþer bryghte stonys. ... All with loyotour ouerlaide lowe to þe hemmes, And with ladily lappes the lenghe of a 3erde ... Arthurian, Heroic, Romance. (work: ?a1400) [MED Morte Arth.(1) ((Thrn) 3252-3256) circa 1440]
3. She had ... A sur-cote on of clothe of golde ... Wroght and wove with sondry flours. Poetic. (work: ?c1408) [MED Lydg.RS ((Frf 16) 1392) circa 1450]
4. Her surkote þat was large and wyde, Ther-wyth her vysage she gan hyde Wyth þe hynþur lappes.(work: c1400 [MED Emare ((Clg A.2) 652) ante 1500]
5. There folowed then mony moo ladyes yn her mantels, surcotes, & other appareyll to theyre astates acustumed. Legal. (work: ?1457) [MED Cov.Leet Bk. (299) ante 1525]
AF, ME, MdE.
Sex: Female    Use: Military    Status: High    Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: Back, Chest, Neck, Shoulder(s), Waist.
1c(n.) Garment; a garment worn under the armour.(circa 1480)
1. They kestyn on him of sylke A sorkett [Clg: gypell] white as mylke..Ther-on an haubryk bryght ... With mayles thik and smale. Heroic, Poetic, Romance. (work: a1400) [MED Libeaus ((Lamb 306) 247) ante 1500]
ME.
Sex: Male    Use: Military    Status: High    Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: Back, Chest, Shoulder(s), Waist.
1d(n.) Garment; ecclesiastical overgarment (glossed as supertunic').(circa 1300)
1. [59] indumenta : robes (D) afublement (L) / tunica : cotez (C) cotes (D) / supertunicalia :surcotez (C) ascurtores (L) / scapularia : escapeloris (C) aspalerus (L) / pallia : manteuz (C) / renones : tabars (CD*L) / coopertoria : couvertures (C) couvrelit (D) / lintheamina : lincheuz (C) tabars (D) / sarabarre : asclaveyns (C) esclavines (D) esclavens (D*) asclaviyns (L) / bombacinia : aketounz (C) aketuns (D) aketun (D*L) / tapete : tapez (C) / cuculli : coulez (C) cuuelis (D*) couelon, monek (D) cules (L)/ stragule : les estreyls , rays (D) / camisie : chemises (D) / collobia : frocs (C) frokes (DL) / lacernis : biflez (C) bifles, yenne mantil (D) mauntel de bifel (D*) bife, mantel (L) / trabee : vesture de rey (D) / paludamentis : mantil de pourpre (D) mantel de pupre (D*) dra de purpre (L) ... sponde: chaslit, forme close, chaly ... cathedra: cheere, chayer, chaflit Gloss. [AND TLL (ii 137) circa 1275/1299]
c.f.: surplice
AF.
Sex: Male    Use: Ecclesiastical    Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: Back, Chest, Shoulder(s), Waist.

    Etymological Evidence:

Definite, Old French. According to Latham, a British Latin form surcotus appears as early as 1199 (Latham, 'supercota', p. 464).
WF: Borrowed into the British Isles
Etym Cog: surcot (OF).
References:

    Art and Illustration:

Scott M. (2007)a discusses the origins of the surcoat or supertunic as it appears in French romances, p. 60. The sideless surcoat worn by queens in later medieval art is a hip-length, furred garment.
References: Scott, M. (2007)
Skip to main content Skip to navigation