Middle English Dictionary Entry
cǒver-chẹ̄̆f n.
Entry Info
| Forms | cǒver-chẹ̄̆f n. Also cover-chief, -chif, -chof, -chaf; cour-, cur-, cor-; kever-, ker-, kir-, car-, kar-. Pl. coverchẹ̄̆ves, -chives, -chiefs, -cheffes. |
| Etymology | OF cuevre-chief head covering, etc. ME cǒver-chẹ̄̆f is influ. by cǒveren v. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1a.
A piece of cloth used to cover part of the head; specif., a woman's headcloth or veil, made of fine material and sometimes enriched with jewels, worn to cover the hair, the sides of the face, and the back of the neck and shoulders; a kerchief.
Associated quotations
- (1223) Close R.Tower 1550b : Pro uno kovrechief.
- (1243) Close R.Hen.III115 : Unum covrechief' precii decem solidorum.
- (1305) Court R.Lond.195 : [Two] coverchefs.
- (1327) Wardrobe Acc.Edw.II in Archaeol.60531 : Pro consutura vestimentorum pro corpore ejusdem Regis..cum uno coverchief Alemayn.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.590 : I weep algate..And with my couerchief [vrr. couerechef, keuercheeff, keercheef, kerchef] couered my visage.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)28018 : Yee leuedis..Wit curchefs [Glb: kerchifes] crisp and bendes bright.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)7367 : A large coverechief of threde She wrapped all aboute hir heede.
- c1450 Scrope Othea (Lngl 253)80 : Vlixes toke keuercheffes, girdill and all maner of iowell longyng to ladies.
- (1449) Will York in Sur.Soc.30156 : All my kerchieffs and array that longes to my hede.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)124 : In tho daies of Poul..noone wommen weriden thanne eny lynnen or silken keuercheefis, but weriden her open heer.
- c1450(?a1400) Quatref.Love (Add 31042)460 : Kelles and corchyfes at couere þaire hare.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5249 : Candace..changid hire wedis..A croune and a corecheffe clustert with gemmes.
- c1450(?c1408) Lydg.RS (Frf 16)1575 : But she had of roses rede..a chapelet..For kerchef pleynly had she non.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)41/27 : An olde damesell that..suld haue..a kerchyf befor hir vysage, be cause that noman suld know hir.
- (1451) Lin.DDoc.57/1 : I will yat all ye lawne in the said paynar..be Cute in Cherchiffes & gyvyn to my seruantes wifes.
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)4424 : And vppe he lift here kerchewe furth with all.
- a1500 Rule Minoresses (Bod 585)84/23 : Þes sustris..schul usyn kerchiues honestli in one maner..whoche schal be alle white & nat precious.
1b.
Pl. A number of such cloths worn as a headdress.
Associated quotations
- c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)17/341 : Here keuerchefs of silk, here smok o line..Sche to rent bineþen here brest.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)8.105 : Þis William..hyled his heed and þe more deel of his [face] wiþ kerchefes [vr. kevercheves; L peplo] and wymples.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.453 : Hir couerchiefs ful fyne were of ground; I dorste swere they weyeden ten pound.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)954 : Kerchofes..wyth mony cler perlez.
- a1425-a1500(?c1350) Libeaus (Kaluza)893 : Sche gan her tire..In kevercheves whit, Araide wiþ gold wire.
- c1440 Degrev.(Thrn)669 : Hir courchefs [Cmb: kercheuus] were curious.
- (1444) RParl.5.111b : A Gowne, a Kirtell, a Hode, two Kerchieffes.
- c1450(?a1400) Quatref.Love (Add 31042)16 : Rafe scho hir kertchefs, hir kelle of hir hede, Wrange scho [hir] handis.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)395/5 : A womman..at þe kurk-dure..was gaylie atyrid in cowrchevis.
1c.
A woman's headcloth or veil put to various adventitious uses.
Associated quotations
- c1300 SLeg.Pilate (Hrl 2277)126 : Mi [Veronica's] keuerchief ic him bitok and he wond hit aboute his face.
- c1330(?c1300) Bevis (Auch)96/1934 : A keuerchef [vr. kercher] to him a drouȝ In þat ilche stounde, To stope mide is wonde.
- a1400(?a1325) Bonav.Medit.(1) (Hrl 1701)624 : With here kercheues hys hepys she wryde.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)272 : Naked from the brest unto the hed Men hyghte hire sen..The remenaunt was wel kevered..Ryght with a subtyl coverchef of Valence -- Ther nas no thikkere cloth of no defense.
- (1440) Paston2.47 : There is j kome in to Englond, a Knyght out of Spayne, wyth a kercheff of plesaunce i wrapped aboute hys arme; the qwych Knyght wyl renne a cours wyth a sharpe spere for his sovereyn lady sake.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)1067 : Þe keuercheues [Add: Hir kerchoffes] he took on honde, Abouten hys arme he hem wonde.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)241 : Þe kerchef clansed hit self & so cler wexed, Myȝt no lede on hit loke for liȝt þat hit schewed.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)404/19 : We rede of Saynt Pawle þat..Plautilla..delyverd hym her curchyff to wype þe swete of his face.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)51/1 : Make a garlond of a kerchefe and bynde þe seke hed.
- a1500 Lady BH (Cmb Ff.2.38)26 : There sche take that body bleste, And in a kerchyt [?read: kerchyf] sche can hyt folde.
1d.
Pl. ?Material for kerchiefs.
Associated quotations
- (1380) Will Court Hust.(Gldh)2.216 : [Pieces of] coerchiefs.
- (1423) Reg.Chichele in Cant.Yk.S.42 (Lamb 69)268 : A goune furred with cony, ij kirtels and j pece of kerchefes.
2.
A piece of cloth used about the person for various purposes: (a) a neckcloth, neckerchief; nek ~; (b) a cloth to protect the shoulders when the hair is combed; (c) a cloth to cover the visor of a basinet; (d) a cloth carried in the hand, handkerchief.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Is.3.23 : Pynnes and sheweres and necke couercheues [vr. neckercheuys], and filetes [WB(2): and smal lynun clothis aboute the schuldris, and kercheues; L et sindones et vittas].
- (1452) Will York in Sur.Soc.45133 : j kercheff pro collo.
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)251 : A Nekkyrchefe: Anaboladium.
b
- a1475(a1456) Shirley Death Jas.(Add 5467)15 : The Kyng..stondyng in his nyght gowne, all unclothid save his shirt, his cape, his combe, his coverchif, his furrid pynsons.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)885 : Also combe & kercheff, looke þere bothe be had, youre souereyn hed to kymbe or he be graytly clad.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)900 : On his shuldur about his nek a kercheff þere must lye.
c
- a1486 Arms Chivalry (Mrg M 775)44 : A longe swerde..Also a kerchif to hele the viser of his basinet.
d
- a1456(a1402) *Trev.Nicod.(Add 16165)95a : Whanne þe Currour sawe Ihesus he worshiped him, and hade keuerchef in his hande, and spradde hit in þe grounde.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)217/24 : Than the kynge..with a keuerchoff wyped his iyen.
3.
A cloth for misc. uses: (a) for wrapping or binding an object; (b) for covering the head of a bed; (c) for covering vessels, the sacrament, etc.
Associated quotations
a
- (1245) Lib.R.Hen.III.2 (PRO C 62)286 : 5 s. 6 d. [for a] koverchef [to wrap up the orphrey edgings].
- c1330 Why werre (Auch)87 : He put in his pautener..A myrour and a koeverchef to binde wid his crok.
b
- (1322) Will de Bohun in Archaeol.J.2349 : ij coverchiefs pur chief de lit furreez de meneveir.
- (1406) Wardrobe Acc.Philippa in Archaeol.67176 : j coverchief de panno adaureo de Cipro..furrurato cum minever..pro capite lecti domine Regine.
c
- (1454-6) Acc.St.Ewen in BGAS 15162 : j couerchyf, & j towel of twylly.
- (c1465) Invent.Cirencester in BGAS 18 (Bod 6530)328 : xxi Carchaff Broke & hole, a Kerchow of sylke..a nu kerchon of umpull.
- (1473-4) Acc.St.Michael Oxf.in OAST 7885 : i kerchew de vinple pro pixide sacramenti.
- (?1474) Stonor1.146 : Item, j kerchew of umpull for þe sacurment. Item, ij narowe karchews of lawne for þe sepulture.
- a1525(?1474) Cov.Leet Bk.301 : Yeyving hym there a C mark in a gilt Coppe of xv Ouncez, with a kerchyff of Plesaunce upon the seid Coppe.
4.
~ lavender, a kerchief laundress.
Associated quotations
- (1393) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms208 : [Debts..to the] kercheflauendre.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (1376) Plea & Mem.R.Lond.Gildh.212 : [John Barewe, John Ennemeth and Robert Curson, mercers, brought a petition praying that the sum of L6…be delivered to them…for 7 pieces of] keverchiefs relusaunz.
Note: Antedates sense 1d.
- c1475 7 Sages(1) (Eg 1995)158/3079 : Hyr hede he dyght fulle gaylyche With kerchyffes [vrr. kyrcheves; kerchyfes] and with garlondes ryche.
Note: New forms: pl. kerchif(f)es, kircheves.
Note: Belongs to sense 1b.
Note: This quot. has been taken back to books.
- a1500 Rich.(Hrl 4690)138/29 : Kerchewes [b-version: Brunner: All in kerchese his arme was wonde].
Note: New form: pl. kerchewes.
Note: Belongs to sense 1c.
Note: This quot. taken back to books.
- a1450 PNoster R.Hermit (Westm-S 3)19/23 : Noþer ȝaf he hem robes of skarlet ne of grene, keuerchefes ne garlondes wiþ perry frettid, bendes ne kelles þat wymmen haue ryue, þat þei þoruȝ hem ne waxe wilde & so lepe into pryde.
Note: New form: pl. keverchefes.
Note: Additional quote(s)
Note: Belongs to sense 1.(a).--notes per MLL
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section may be incomplete or may need revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED.--per MLL
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. kerchief.