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The Lexis of Cloth and Clothing Project
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towel

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Searchable Lemmata: touail (ME), tywel (W), tuaille (AF), tuaillun (AF), tuallia (L), towel (MdE).
Alternate Forms: *tualla, *tuella, toaillia, toalla, toallia, tobale, tobalia, togate, togella, togellus, tovale, tovella, towailla, towella, tuale, tuallium, tueale, tueallim, tuella, tuellia, tuellus, twalla, twallium, twella.

    Definitions and Defining Citations:

1(n.) Accessory; piece of cloth, usually of linen or hemp, for wiping something dry, especially the hands, face or person. Latin headword *tuallia is inferred.(ante 1300 still in current use)
1. facitergium: tuaile a face, kevertur ... birris, gerouns, anglice scurtez, geruns, giruns ... vulpecula: gupil Gloss. [AND TLL (ii 66-67) ante 1300]
2. Ac yna iosep aroes twel o sidan gwynn arnaw ual roi corporal dros garegyl.In reference to the corporal used in mass. [GPC HMSS (i 163) circa 1350]
3. Item vij towell' ... pris viijs. Item iiij roll' worstede ... pris xxs. Item iiij pec. worstede ... pris iiij markes Item iiij pec. Card ... pris xs. Item j pec. et di. de bordelisaundre ... pris vjs. Item ij keverlites ove ij testurys enbrawded de le minime stature ... xiijs. iiijd. Item j keverlite et testur' de blew worstede ... vjs. viijd. Item j pec. de ffustyan ... xiijs. iiijd. Item iiij dossen kercheves de Berchefoll ... xiijs. iiijd. Item vj peyntyd clothus ... iiijs. [LexP Bristol Customs Searchers (p. 51, no. 38.A) circa 1399/1413]
4. Item, x auter clothis of playne and napery; Item, xviii towelles playne and diaperid ... Item, ii copis, i chesepill, ii tunyclis with other ornamentes of blew veluet ... i white tynacle of fustian, i white cloth for the high auter Accounts. [MED Doc.in HMC Rep.3 App. (316.A) 1447]
5. Whan þei han eten, þei wypen hire hondes vpon hire skirtes, for þei vse non naperye ne towaylles but 3if it be before grete lordes(dating uncertain; work: c1400) [MED Mandev.(1) ((Tit C.16) 165/25) ante 1475]
6. Good son, loke þat þy napery be soote & also feyre & clene, bordclothe, towelle, & napkyn, foldyn alle bydene [MED Russell Bk.Nurt. ((Hrl 4011) 61) ante 1475]
c.f.: corporal, tersorium
AF, L, ME, MdE.
Sex: Male, Female    Ceremonial: No
Body Parts:

    Etymological Evidence:

Definite, Old French töaille, toalle, touail(l)e, etc.; AF tuaille, etc.; (British) L tuallia.
WF:
Etym Cog: toaille (OF), touaille (MdFr), toalla (MdSp), dwahilla (OHG), dwähele (MHG), zwehle (MdG).
References:
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