Middle English Dictionary Entry
alū̆m n.
Entry Info
| Forms | alū̆m n. Also alumme, al(l)om, alowme, alim(e. |
| Etymology | OF alum, from L alūmen |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. alumen.
1.
(a) Common or potash alum; (b) used as a generic term (including certain alum-bearing minerals and aluminous salts as well as potash alum); (c) poudre (of) ~, water of ~.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)200a/b : Iren..ysmered wiþ alym [L alumine].
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)82/3 : Alum..will melt as it war yse and boile, and afterward it wexeþ hard.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)128a/a : Þis wasshinge by resoun of the alume arrayeth þe heres to receyue all coloure.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)176a/a : Hote [repercussive] medecynes..alume, salte [etc.].
- (1428) Doc.in Sur.Soc.856 : Robert..boght..a c alom and he syfted oute of yt half a bushell of plaster and lyme.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)189 : Merchaundyse that be seld and weyen by the c., as..alom.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)192 : Do þer to..alyme smal poudred.
- (1453) Proc.Privy C.6.152 : Alome of divers marchauntes of Jene.
- (1458) GRed Bk.Bristolpt.2 p.59 : For euery bale Madere and of alyme ther putte to sale.
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)1/5 : Þe maner of steynyng of lynne cloþ..to viii ellyn of cloþ take a pownd of alyme.
b
- [ (c1375) LRed Bk.Bristol2.6 : Qe nul alym de Wyght ne Bitterwos soyt vsee ne mys en oueraigne; et qe nul herberge nul tiel manere alym ne le achate. ]
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)316b/b : Som cometh of veynes of þe erþe as..water nitrum and alime [L aqua..aluminosa].
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1035 : Þe clay þat clenges þerby arn corsyes strong, As alum and alkaran.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)66/20 : Aboute þat see [Dead Sea] groweth moche Alom.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)9.121 : When we delue ffor cley, alum [L alumen] and brymstoon.
- a1456(a1449) Lydg.Semblable (Ashm 59)43 : Þalknamystre treteþe..of alomys, of sallis.
c
- (?a1390) Daniel *Herbal (Add 27329)f.148ra : [Alumen:] .. [P]ouder alum [Arun 42 (f.20v): Poudre of hym (i.e., alumen)] & pouder carmaryn & pouder of wormes þat breden in fat ground, if it be put in þe canker, it is migthy in helpe.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)89/4 : Þese ben liȝt mundificatiuis..water of alym [L aqua aluminis] þat clensiþ and coldiþ.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)82/10 : Water of alum is made þus: Tak a quantite of it..and breke it..to which be added to 8 partiez of gode vinegre..and so boile þam..vnto þat þe half parte..be consumed..Þis watre mundifieþ in coldand.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)130b/b : Water of alume..vert Juse..wiþ alume, distillede in þe maner of water of rose.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)180/561 : Put þerto a sawser full of powdir of alyme.
- a1475 Hrl.Bk.Hawking (Hrl 2340:Halliwell)301 : Put in powdere of alym with a holow strawe.
2.
(a) blank alum, burnt alum; hol ~, whole alum; rau ~, ?uncalcined alum; spir ~, ?feather or plume alum; ~ zucarin, potash alum; ?also, alunite; ~ zucarin brent (combust), burnt alum; (b) brent alum, ~ calcined, ~ combust, alum calcined into a white, friable state, burnt alum.
Associated quotations
a
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)35/39 : Poudre of alumme zucaryne y-brent.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)54/25 : Putte in poudre..of alum zucaryne i. alum glasse.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)81/24 : Alum zucaryne is called comonly alumglasse..It is a veyne of þe erþe yknowen yonȝ.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)86/26 : Alum zucarine combust or noȝt combuste.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)36a/b : Þe whyte of an ey þicked with..alume zuccaryne.
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)3/32 : Take vertgrese & þe blaunke alome.
- ?a1450 Macer (Stockh Med.10.91)111 : Take hool [L non scissum] alum.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)78/203 : Take vj peny wight of raw alyme.
b
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)9b : Alyme i-brent.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)93b/a : Alum combust [*Ch.(2): brente alume].
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)78/204 : First take alome and do it on a rede glowynge tele stone and do fyre about it and let it ligg þer till it haue left his boylynge and be white and than [is] that alom calcyned.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)103 : Pouder of brend alym.
3.
(a) alum foil(le, alum in flakes or lamina (?prepared from Roman alunite); (b) ~ (de) glas, glas ~, potash alum (referring to its crystalline form); ?also alunite; (c) ~ (de) plume, native aluminum sulphate, feather or plume alum; (d) ~ (de) roche, roche ~, potash alum obtained from Roman alunite, rock alum, Roman alum.
Associated quotations
a
- [ (1387) *For.Acc.(PRO) Ab [OD col.] : Clxix bale de alome foille. ]
- [ (1421) in Gras Eng.Cust.Syst.458 : i bala alymfoyll'. ]
- (1453) Grocer Lond.(Kingdon)323/25 : Alum foyle or rooch þe bale..iiij d.
- a1500(a1451) Commodities Eng.(LdMisc 593)553 : Merchanntes Lumbard..brynge..Alome Soyle [read: foyle].
b
- [ (1381) LRed Bk.Bristol2.6 : Qe nul alym soit vsee. forsqe Spyralym, Glasalym et Bokkan. ]
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.CY.(Manly-Rickert)G.813 : Of tartre, alum glas.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)81/24 : Alum zucaryne is called comonly alumglasse.
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)9/19 : Tak powdir of alom glase.
- ?c1450 Chaucer HF (Pep 2006)1124 : It was liche alymde [read: alym de] glas.
- a1475 Limn.Bks.(Brog 2.1)p.78 : Put therein iij unce of alome glasse made into powdere.
- ?a1475 PParv.(Win)11 : Alum glas: Alumen.
c
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)81/35 : Anoþer kynde of alum þat is called alumen scissum, comonly alum plume, and it haþe þredez and it may be diuided and ryuen in sondre.
- ?a1450 Arderne LW (Em 69)125 : Pouder of alume de plume.
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)6/16 : An vnce of alem plum.
d
- [ (1387) *For.Acc.(PRO) Ab [OD col.] : xxi bal de alome de Roche. ]
- ?a1400 *Albi Reynolds 5081 Recipes (Albi Reynolds 5081)f.21r : Tak .1. ponde of .. madir mad in to poudir, and half a ponde of alum roch brent and mad in to poudir / And whil þe licour boylith ouer þe fier / do in þe madir and þe alum.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)186a/b : Alume roche [*Ch.(1): alumen rochinum] is hote and drye..wiþ mykel restreynynge.
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)336 : [The Genoese] bringe wyth hem..Coton, roche-alum and gode golde of Jene.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)p.152 : Alym Roche.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)p.170 : Pouder of alym de roche.
- (1453) Grocer Lond.(Kingdon)323/25 : Alum foyle or rooch, þe bale..iiij d.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)149a/a : Take rede arsenek attrament cauterid calce of eye schelles salle armoniake alumme iamene oþer alumme de plumme geder hem all togidere and grynde hem wiþ childes vrine & drye hem.
Note: New comb.
Note: [See Mirfeld Sinonoma p.9: alumen iamem]
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1400 Trin-C O.9.39 Recipes (Trin-C O.9.39) 55/19 : Take þe schauyng of brasile þat be fyne .ij. vnces, of fayre smal pouder of alum de glas .j. vnce, and of fayre poudre of chalk half an vnce, and medle alle þese þree maters wel togydres.
- a1500 Sln.122 Artist.Recipes (Sln 122) 85/15 : Take it fro þe fier and put þe pouder of alom glas þerto, and ster hem well togeder.
- a1500 Ashm.750 Artist.Recipes (Ashm 750) 251/18 : Put þerto a nunce of powder alum glace, and seth hem aȝeyn.
Note: Need dates, sense 3.(b).
- c1465 Eg.2852 Stain.Recipes (Eg 2852) 103/17 : Ȝyf þu haue .viij. ȝerdys of cloþ take a pound of aleme and putte hit wiþ þe cloþ into þe water.
Note: Additional quot., sense 1.(a) or (b). New spelling = aleme.
- a1500 Cmb.Ee.1.13 Dye Recipes (Cmb Ee.1.13) 111/31 : Grind seruse smal and temper it with gome water; also in half a galon of veneger put alum plumme.
Note: Additional quot., sense 3.(c).
- a1500 Trin-C.R.14.45 Recipes (Trin-C R.14.45) 129/19,20 : Take þe faire cloutys..and dippe þem in þyne alume water onys or twies until þei have idronken al þi alumne, þanne wryng out þe water.
Note: Additional quot., ?prob. sense 1.(c). New spelling = alumne.
- a1525 Sln.4 Recipes in Crafte Lymmyng (Sln 4) 302/5 : Take strong redd vyneger and put þeryn gume Arabyck tyll yt be consumid, also alam, and whan they be consumyd yn the vyneger take the reddyst brasell ..and skrape yt..ynto the vyneger.
Note: Additional quot., sense 1.(a) or (b). New spelling = alam.
- a1400 Trin-C O.9.39 Recipes (Trin-C O.9.39) 27/27 : Take of alum roche, and of salt comun preparat, of eche yliche meche, and dissolue hem in comon watre.
Note: Need date, sense 3.(d).