Middle English Dictionary Entry
purpur(e adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | purpur(e adj. Also purper, purpour, purpre, pourpre, porpere, porpre. |
| Etymology | Cp. purpur(e n. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. purpel adj.
1.
(a) Purple, violet, bluish; characterizing venous blood; dark, purplish; ~ veine, the median cubital vein; ~ water, purple dye; (b) ~ colour (heu), purple color (hue); ~ blaknesse, dark purple; bleu ~ colour, a bluish purple color; ~ rede, crimson; (c) ~ cloth (clothing), a cloth of purple color; also, a garment made from purple cloth.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)206b/b : In a contre of Scicilia þer mount ethna is, and purpre salt.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)189/15 : Pannus is a superfluite þat falliþ in a wommans face..& is as it were a maner ledi colour or purpur.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)295/2 : Uarices ben clepid veynes þat ben grete & grene & purpur & sittiþ aboute a mannes leggis.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)1016 : Þe twelfþe, þe gentyleste in vch a plyt, Þe amatyst purpre with ynde blente.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.869 : Aboute hire eyen two a purpre ryng Bytrent, in sothfast tokenyng of hire peyne.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)112a/b : Rasis bigan at þe purpure veyne [Ch.(2): vena purpurea] of þe riȝt arme.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)103b/b : Þe canker..is of diuerse colour & haþ diuerse veines, of þe whiche summe ben liuide & sum purper & sum grene.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)654 : Fleth ek the queen, with al hire purpre [vrr. porpere, purpyr] sayl.
- c1450(c1415) Roy.Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)189/9 : She [Mary] haþ þe purpure floure of charite.
- c1475 Lydg.HGS (Hrl 2251)p.120 : Ther was a kyng..Whiche cast awey crowne and purpur wede.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)100b : Purpur [Monson: Purpour]:..purpureus.
- a1500 Mirror Salv.(Beeleigh)p.76 : In a cokcyn or pourpre mantelle thay wapped [read: wrapped] hym scournfully.
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)4/12 : To make purpur water: Take red water and a lityl blac water and tempere hit wiþ clene water ouer þe fuyre.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)197a/a : Amatistus is purpre rede in colour, y-medlid wiþ colour of violette.
- ?c1400 Cursor (Arms 57:Morris)17867 : So riȝt purpur [Trin-C: purpre; Ld: purpowr; Göt: purprin] hwe is noone, Þat ilke liȝt vpon vs shone.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)23b : Fvmyter ys an erbe..His flour is purpur colour.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)25a : Flour delice..beryth a blewe purpur colour.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)63a/b : If forsoþ it [blood] go out quietely And is grosse declinand to a maner purpure blacnez, It is signified þat it goþ out of a veyne.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)81/9 : The see we se alwaye of purpour coloure.
- a1450 Dc.291 Lapid.(Dc 291)p.26 : Amatist is of purpure colour & draweth to colour of blode newe shedde.
c
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)81/73 : A pourpre cloþ hi dede hym on, A scorne an hym to wondre.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Num.4.13 : Þe auter þei sholyn clense wiþ askyn, & þei sholyn wrappe hit wiþ apurpure cloþynge [WB(2): a clooth of purpur; L purpureo vestimento].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)309a/b : Þerwiþ is purpur silk y-dyed, of þe whiche purpre cloþ is y-weue, and þerby is y-schewed welþe and ioye of kynges.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)16201 : A purpure claþ þai on him [Christ] kest.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1637 : I schal halde þe þe hest þat I þe hyȝt have, Apyke þe in porpre cloþe, palle alþerfynest.