Middle English Dictionary Entry
ā̆sūr n.(1) & adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | ā̆sūr n.(1) & adj. Also assure, azur(e, as(s)eur, aso(u)r, azour, aȝure, aȝo(u)r, aser(e, azer, asire. |
| Etymology | OF asur, azur & ML az(z)ura; ultim. Pers. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
The blue stone lapis lazuli; enamel made of powdered lapis lazuli.
Associated quotations
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4052 : His byle was blak..Lyk asure were hise legges and his toon.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.254 : Gemmes set in gold and in asure.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)310a/b : The colour indicus & fenetus is blew colour..also such colour is in azure; but here of loke tofore in tretys..of þe stoon lazulus.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1457 : Þer wer bassynes ful bryȝt of brende golde clere, Enaumaylde wyth azer.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.1370 : A broche, gold and asure, In which a ruby set was lik an herte.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)3355 : A pome, pighte full of faire stonys, Enamelde with azoure, the erth thereon depayntide.
- c1440 Degrev.(Thrn)650 : Hir botouns..were anamelde with asure [vr. azour].
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)36.519 : The pyler..was of Marbyl, I-kouered with gold & Asure ful Richely wrowht.
- (1472) Acc.St.Edm.Sarum4 : With asire enamyled in the fote of the same chalice.
- a1500 Peterb.Lapid.(Peterb 33)99 : Ðis stone..is ryȝt gode to be set in a rynge azure.
2.
A pigment or paint made of powdered lapis lazuli, ultramarine; also, any blue pigment or paint; fin ~; fals ~, ~ of Almaine, ?Prussian blue; ~ bis, a dark blue.
Associated quotations
- ?a1350 Recipe Painting(1) in Archaeol.J.1 (Hrl 2253)64 : Ȝef thin asure is fin, tak gumme arabuk..ant seththe; cast therof into thin asure..tac a luter ere-wax ant pute therin, ant thenne writ.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.5713 : With gold and azure hir [Venus's] statue þei do peint.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)477 : Alle these thingis..With gold and asure..Depeynted were upon the wall.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)46/12 : The queer of the chirche..peynted with gold, syluer, azure.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)1784 : Þe sepulcre of gode was peyntede..With golde and asere & mony oþer coloures mo.
- a1475 Grafting (Halliwell)67 : Do therein good asure of Almayne.
- a1475 Limn.Bks.(Brog 2.1)73 : A false asure and dede. Take ceruse and rosyne, [etc.].
- a1475 Limn.Bks.(Brog 2.1)78 : Than is the asure-bice not good ne fyne.
- (a1475) Recipe Painting(2) in Archaeol.J.1 (Sln 73)155 : For to make fyn azure withoute past..take lapis lazuli, the ston [etc.]..Azure bis. Take and grynd..whit leed..with the juse of a blewe flour that groweth in corn in somer [etc.].
- a1500 in Singer Cat.Alchem.2.500 : For to make asure byce. Recipe vi oz. of calz ovorum well [etc.].
3.
(a) The color azure; also, blue; ~ colour; ~ bleu; (b) her. azure, one of the five standard 'colors' in coats of arms [usually matched with 'gold']; (c) applied to the 'colors' of rhetoric.
Associated quotations
a
- c1390(?c1350) Jos.Arim.(Vrn)195 : On vche braunche was a word of þreo maner enkes: Gold and Seluer..Asur.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)82/39 : Of rede colour and of azour colour.
- (c1439) Grocer Lond.(Kingdon)250/18 : For the lyuerey Skarlett and azer blwe.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)3910 : Hys baner þey vp rere..Wiþ flour-de-lys off gold and asour.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)4998 : Off gold and asure were here wedes.
- c1450(c1375) Chaucer Anel.(Benson-Robinson)330 : Then thynketh me that your figure Before me stont, clad in asure.
- a1450 I have a gentil cok (Sln 2593)13 : His legges ben of asor..his spores arn of syluer qwyt.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)1734 : Of white, asure, & blewe.
b
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)5642 : A kniȝt he was of gret priis..Alle he was couched wiþ azur, Of gold þer were four bore heuedes ybete.
- c1330 Degare (Auch)995 : Þe sscheld of asur And þre bor-heuedes þerin.
- a1400(?a1350) Siege Troy(1) (Eg 2862)105/1313 : He ȝaue him Armoure good and sure, With a lyoun of ryche Assure [vr. asure].
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.244 : In his schelde, Passaunt of gold þre lyouns..Þe chaump of azour.
- (c1452) Arms Oxf.in Antiq.37 (Hrl 2259)210 : Ye armys of Oxforth. They ber asur, a boke overt with vij clospys gold betwyx iij crownys.
- (c1460) Bk.Arms in Anc.3 (Hrl 2169)194 : The feld aseure, the griffon in the felde rampand all of golde.
- (c1460) Bk.Arms in Anc.7 (Hrl 2169)203 : The armys..beryth of assewre, iij crownys of gold une deseus lautyr.
- (1466) Paston (Gairdner)4.249 : Wulstan, which bare armes gould flowret azure.
- c1475 Sln.4 Recipes in Rel.Ant.1 (Sln 4)324 : There he [read: be] but ij metallys and v colours yn all blasyng of armes..sylver and gold metalles; sabylls, aser, gowles, synaper, and vertecolers.
- a1500 Eglam.(Cmb Ff.2.38)425 : He beryth of golde..A stede of aser [vr. asure] and a knyght.
- a1500(?a1400) Torrent (Chet 8009)2254 : Of gold he bare bryght, A liberd of asure blay.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)475 : The shelde of goolde and azur, ther-ynne a lyon rampaunt.
c
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.384 : And gan with asour & with golde to peynte His gay wordys.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.4717 : Whan we wolde his [Chaucer's] stile counterfet, We may al day oure colour grynde & bete, Tempre our aȝour and vermyloun.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (1420-21) in Gras Eng.Cust.Syst.512 : iiii peciis velvette asure.
Note: Additional quote(s)
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1400 Trin-C O.9.39 Recipes (Trin-C O.9.39) 15/5 : Forto make fyne asure, first atte bygynnyng..loke þat þu haue ynow..gode stone of lapis lazari [read: lazuli].
Note: Need date, sense 2.
- a1500 Sln.122 Artist.Recipes (Sln 122) 113/32 : To tempre asoure. Take stronge vynegre and put it to þyn asoure, and wasche it þerwith as longe as þu seyst any white felthe aboue the venegre, and whenne þu seyst þyn asoure blew ynow, pure awey the venegre clene.
Note: Clarke's gloss = 'azurite'. ?New sense. New spelling = asoure.
- a1400 Trin-C O.9.39 Recipes (Trin-C O.9.39) 54/10 : Forto make azure of Almaygne..take þe a fayre blewe stone of Almayne..and breke hit in smale gobetts or ells into grete poudre in a brasyn morter, [etc.].
Note: Clarke's gloss = 'azurite (blue pigment)'. ?New sense or ?modify sense 2.