Middle English Dictionary Entry
russet n.
Entry Info
| Forms | russet n. Also russette, ruset, rosset, roset(te. |
| Etymology | OF rosset, rossete, AF russet & ML russetum, AL rossetum. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The color russet, grey or dull red, brown, etc., suitable for working clothes; (b) a serviceable woolen cloth, usu. of plain or subdued color & usu. worn by the poor or by workingmen (also by the Duke of Suffolk as a sea-cloak); a length of such cloth; (c) brod ~, russet cloth of double width; colchestre (cottenhames, cotoun, frensh) ~, a specific kind of russet; (d) a garment of russet.
Associated quotations
a
- (1422) Doc.Brewer in Bk.Lond.E.143/96 : Hit was ordeyned þat euerych housholder..yn þe same clothing of blac or ellis russet to be presente atte þe enterement of our said king Henri þe vte.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)23b/a : Elbidus: color rosset.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)6.49 : Hir habit was of manyfold colours..Feynt blak for moornyng, russet for trauaille.
- (1447) *Court R.Long Bennington : i virgam panni color' russet.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.MRose (Hrl 2255)59 : Al clad in russet, the soyl of greene is bare.
- ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L.(Hrl 1764)65/26 : With the valu of one of her cotes or gownez there might have be clothed L poure men and kept from colde in gownes of white or Russet.
- (1465) Paston1.528 : I myth haue sent me home by þe same mesenger ij peyir hose, j peyir blak and an othyr peyir of roset.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)3470 : I clothe ham wyth buddys glade, Wych with wynter, dede I made..Tornyng to russet al the grene With fretyng of hys bytter cold.
b
- (c1248) *Will Bonde in Rec.Norwich 2358 facing : Tun[i]cam meam de Russet lego praedicto Benedicto.
- a1300 Hwi ne serue (Jes-O 29)70 : Alle we schulle to þe deþ dreoreliche gon..Þer..geyneþ vs no grene..Þe robes of russet ne of rencyan.
- (1344) Doc.in Riley Mem.Lond.217 : [Also, that no man of the trade [of Girdlers] shall work in such trade at either] roset [or] tirlet.
- (1347-8) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.100545 : In pannis pro militibus et clericis..Rusett pro bedemannis, operariis in Curia, et houces equor. ad diversa precia.
- (1380) Will York in Sur.Soc.4107 : Volo quod sex pauperes vestiantur in russet.
- (1394) Wardrobe Acc.Rich.II in Archaeol.62507 : Item, pro iij virgis iij quarteriis de broun russet.
- (1400) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)7.70 : [A gown of white] russet [lined with] sendell.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)15.162 : Charite..is as gladde of a goune of a graye russet As of a tunicle of tarse.
- (1408) Will in Bk.Lond.E.215/31 : My wyl ys..that John White, Alys Kamerwell..have A-ȝens the day of my terment gownes of russet with hodys of the same clothe.
- (1418) EEWills36,37 : A gowne of gray russet furred wit Ionetis and wylde Catis..also, a Cloke of Blake russet.
- (1418) Will Bury in Camd.494 : Pannum de albo russet pro tunica, et j camis.
- (1433) Let.Bk.Lond.K (Gldh LetBk K)170 : Where þe said furres of Bogee shuld be wroght of hole Skynnes, þey ben kutte in foure and medled, some with legges, some with lambfurres, and some with Skewyd and Russet.
- (?1435) Let.Bk.Lond.K (Gldh LetBk K)199 : [They pray that the ordinance forbidding the working] Roset [or] tirlet [be annulled as they do not understand those terms].
- (1450) Paston2.36 : Oon..toke awey his [the Duke of Suffolk's] gowy [read: gown] of russette.
- c1450(?a1400) Parl.3 Ages (Add 31042)137 : The second segge..satte at his ese, A renke alle in rosette.
- (1468) Stonor1.101 : Item, also vij erdys of kersey þat was made of þe same roset, j d.
- (1468-9) Acc.Howard in RC 57533 : I bowete of Tomas Molense v brode klothes, iij plonketes, and ij dereke rosetes.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)168 : The cherll..was clothed in cote and hoode of rosset.
- c1600(?c1395) PPl.Creed (Trin-C R.3.15)719 : Þei vsen russet also, somme of þis freres, Þat bitokneþ trauaile & trewþe opon erþe. -?-
- -?-(1415) Will in Som.RS 16401 : xiij poure men clothed in Russett ylyned witt white.
- -?-(1426) Will in Som.RS 16119 : [20 dozen of woollen cloth commonly called] Russet [to be distributed to the poor].
c
- [ (a1420) Trin-C.Dial.in Romania 32 (Trin-C B.14.40)55 : iiij russet de Colchester, scarletz, bloyes ou pers selestiene, plunketz, sanguyns, et violetz engreyn rayes. ]
- (1445) Let.Bk.Lond.K (Gldh LetBk K)308 : [Woollen cloths called]..Colchestre Russet.
- (1459) Invent.Fastolf(2) in Paston Letters (Gairdner)3.174 : Item, j gowne of Frenche russet, lynyd with blak clothe.
- (c1470) Stonor Suppl.9 : Item, vij yerdes of Coton roset, price of the yerd, vj d.
- (c1475) Stonor1.154 : Item, delyvered to Richert Baron a ȝerde and an halfe off brode russett, the price off a ȝerde xx d., ij s. vj d. Item, a cote clothe off Cottohames russet, ij ȝerdes off narrowe clothe, the pris, xij d.
- a1486 Knts.Bath in Archaeol.57 (Mrg M 775)68 : They schall arise and make them redy in hermytis aray of Colchestir russet.
d
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)675 : Gold, siluer..Ne haue I non..þis bare olde russet is nat gay.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: ?The quots. with term 'roset' in the (1344) and (?1435) quots. in sense (b) may not belong to russet n.: the girdlers may be forbidden the making of ornamental buckles or attachments for the belts (straying into another craft's domain). 'Roset' here may be 'rosette'.--per MM
Note: There is no entry for 'roset' in the MED and tirlet n. (containing only the (1344) and (?1435) quots. is defined as "?Some kind of rich cloth [cp. russet n. (b)]". Perhaps tirlet is (or is related to) tillete n. (with only one quot.), defined as "A kind of cloth"--perhaps for making sails, since 12 yards of it are bought for a "spynas" (pinnace).
Note: In An Historical Account of the Worshipful Company of Girdlers, London, the author notes in reference to the (1344) quot.: "These ordinances are fairly simple to understand..The only point which really needs any elucidation is as to the working at roset or terlit, but though I have looked up several authorities on this point, so far I have not been able to ascertain what it means, but as it was forbidden to work at either of these two particular crafts, perhaps it does not much matter." (It matters very much to lexicographers!)--last two notes per MLL