Middle English Dictionary Entry
lī̆nen adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | lī̆nen adj. Also linene, linin(e, linone, (error) lynenyn & linnen, linnen(n)e, (early dat.) linnenon & linne & len(n)in & lin(n)ing, linend, linand. |
| Etymology | OE līnen & (?A only) lī̆nnen. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Of cloth or a cloth, a rag, a sheet: consisting of linen; of yarn or thread: spun from flax; ~ tou, coarse linen; bothe wollen and ~, all, every bit; (b) of clothing, a garment, bedding: made of linen, or principally of linen; ~ cloth, linen clothing, a linen garment, a linen undergarment; of ~ work, made of embroidered linen.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)124.111/3 : Drupe [read: dupe] anne linnene claþ & forsete þa nosþyrlles þarmid.
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)9/23 : Nim þann anne linnenne clað and do hine eal wate on þan wætere.
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)11/26 : Þur linne clæþ.
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)27/25 : Mid linnen claþe.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)22290 : Heo wipeden hors leoue mid linnene claðe.
- c1300 SLeg.Silv.(1) (LdMisc 108)53 : Men scholden..helie with clene linnene cloth ore louerdes flechs and is blod.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)878 : A lynene [vr. lynen] cloþ he nom and byclupte him þerwiþ.
- a1325 SLeg.(Corp-C 145)450/37 : A linne cloþ he tok And biclupte þerwiþ is face.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)8962 : Þo caste þis gode mold hire mantel of anon & gurde aboute hire middel a uair linne [B: linnene, lynnen, lynen] ssete.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mat.27.60 : Joseph wlappide it in a clene sendel, or lynnen cloth.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.323 : He brouȝte hir..to the emperour wiþ here lynnen cloþ [L panno suo lineo].
- c1390 NHom.Narrat.(Vrn)308/28 : Hire hed was bounden aboute wiþ a sely lynnene cloute.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)19843 : A mikel linnen [Frf: lynne; Göt: linnan] clath, four squar, Laten dun him thought was þar.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)122/10 : Þou schalt fulfille þe wounde wiþ..lynt of an oold lynnen clooþ [vr. lynne clout].
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)731 : Þe jueler..solde alle hys goud, boþe wolen and lynne [rime: blynne], To bye hym a perle watz mascellez.
- c1400 *Bk.Mother (Bod 416)145/8 : And so þow maist weshe þi feet..and wipe hem wiþ a lynnen cloþ.
- (a1413) Doc.Trade in BRS 750 : En primis, iv pec. de linnyn cloth.
- (1415) Will in Bdf.HRS 224 : Item, a whit materas of smal lynnen cloyth, paled, of þe middel assise.
- (a1425) Stonor1.40 : For an elne of lynen clothe, v d.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)54b/a : G[alien] wille þat þe bendez be made of gode lynnen cloþe.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)111b/b : Sarse hem þurȝ a smalle lynnynge cloþe, and confecte hem vppe wiþ water of verueine.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)114a/b : Þen make smale plumasoles of þe smalleste lynnynge cloþe þu maie fynde.
- (1432) Rec.St.Mary at Hill27 : Also, ij sewdarie of lynne cloth enbraudid with gold.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)133 : That non of the same toun take in kepyng of poore webberes ne off spynneres..clothes maade..ne wollen threed ne lynen threed.
- (1439) Plea & Mem.R.Lond.Gildh.16 : [20 ells of] lynnyntowe [at 4 d. the yd., 6 s. 8 d.].
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)306 : Lynyne clothe, or cloþe of flax: Lineus.
- (1444) Will York in Sur.Soc.30112 : A sparver with coveryng of lynnyn clothe.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)34 : Putte it in a lynen cloþe & presse it.
- a1450 Of alle þe ioyus (Cmb Dd.11.89)314 : In linnen cloth they wounden Hym anon; In to a graue they Hym bere.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)194/7 : Put them in a lynyng cloth and hange yt a-bowth þin necke.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)199/10 : Take þe sede of persely, and put yt in a smale lynyng cloþe.
- (a1451) Will York in Sur.Soc.4599 : Item, xvij lb. de lenyn yarne, ij s. x d.
- (1451) Capgr.St.Gilb.(Add 36704)123/32 : Þe prioresse took þe same lynand cloth..whech lay up-on þe breest of þis holy confessour.
- (1459) Will York in Sur.Soc.30236 : j towell de lynnyncloith.
- (1466) Paston (Gairdner)4.230 : To John Dewe for grey lynen cloth and sylk frenge for the hers.
- a1475 Limn.Bks.(Brog 2.1)77 : Thanne streyne the juce therefro throȝe a lynnene clothe.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)58b/a : The wounde muste be..y-sewid in streit lynnen clooþ.
- c1475 *Mondeville (Wel 564)163b/b : Take a sutil pece of lynnen clooþ þat be þicke & wel cerid.
- a1500(a1451) Commodities Eng.(LdMisc 593)553 : Grete plente of Lynnyn-clothe.
- a1500 Ld.Cook.Recipes (LdMisc 553)112 : Tak a fare lynne clout, & do therynne a disshful of ote-mele.
b
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.MQuad.(Hrl 6258B)2/14 : Ic..þe þine teþ of abete & þanne hy siþþan on lennenon hræȝele biwind.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)214/26 : Nest flesch ne schal nan werien linnene clað bute hit beo of hearde & of greate heorden.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)1174 : God almiȝti wrþe him wroþ, An al þat werieþ linnene cloþ.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)2262 : His priue penaunces some weren fastinge for-to make, And In fale tymes linne cloth and schurte of selk.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)236/15-6 : Alle his children weren ycloþed ine linene kertles and y-gert aboue mid huite linene gerdles.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Lev.16.4 : Wiþ lynnyn brechis [WB(2): lynnun clothis], he shal hele þe shame-worþi menbris.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mark 14.51 : Sum ȝong man, clothid with lynnen cloth on the bare, suede him.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.269 : Sche cam..for to schape þe chamberlay his lynnen cloþes.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)191/15 : It falliþ ofte to hem þat wakiþ & traueiliþ & vsiþ no baþing & weriþ no lynnen cloþis.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)14.55 : Darstow neuere care for corne ne lynnen cloth ne wollen.
- a1400 Apoc.(1) in LuSE (Pep 2498)p.163 : Of þe lynen clooþ [Hrl 874: & þe Ost of heuene..ben cloþed of þe lyne clooþ of hym, white & clene].
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)1 Kings 2.18 : Samuel, a child gird with a lynnun clooth, mynystride bifor the face of the Lord.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Ezek.9.2 : O man in the myddis of hem was clothid with lynnun clothis.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)33/20 : Þai wynd þaire heuedes and þaire nekkes in a whyte lynnen clathe [F de grant linceal blanc].
- (1426) Will Pevere in Bdf.NQ 1343 : Item, I bequethe all my beddyng, lynen and woollyn, and all my werying clothes to iohn Broughton and to anneys Welde.
- (1440) Let.Bk.Lond.K (Gldh LetBk K)244 : Many hundredes of þe comune people..theym led fettred in to the Countour & from thens, cheyned by the nekkys ij to gedre, al naked save theire lynnyn clothes, þourgh Chepe un to Neugate.
- (1449) Will York in Sur.Soc.30136 : iij par de lynyn hose.
- a1450 St.Etheldr.(Fst B.3)311 : Lynyn clothus werede he þere neuer, Bot wollen clothus, both nyȝt & day.
- (1451) Lin.DDoc.56/31 : I will that Elizabeth bulman haf al my lynne clothis & kerchifs.
- (1472) Acc.St.Edm.Sarum7 : Item, iij pelowes of olde selke, ij pelowes of lynnyn worke.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)143/33 : He wold not drynke wyne..ne vsid noone lynnen clothes, but alle wollen.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense (b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. linen cloth.