Middle English Dictionary Entry
shirt(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | shirt(e n. Also shirth, shert(e, sert(e, chirte, cherte, cert, shurt(e, churt, shorte, (late) shearte, (SW) sseorte, (SW & K) sserte, (chiefly SW) shuirte, (?NWM) shart, (N) sirte & (early SWM) scurte, seorte; pl. shirtes, etc. & (error) yertes. |
| Etymology | OE scyrte; cp. MLG schörte. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A garment for the upper body worn next to the skin by both men and women, a shirt; (b) ~ and brech, brech and ~; ~ cloth; ~ lappe; doublet and ~; (c) ~ of silk (fin holand); cheisil (heren, linen, silken) ~; smal ~, ?a fine, elegant shirt; (d) casten (don) on ~, to put on a shirt; don of ~; for-beren ~, fail to wear a shirt; unarmen to (unto) ~, take off (one's) armor; (e) in bar ~, in ~ al-one, in hire (his) ~, naked but ~, wearing only a shirt; naked but of smok and ~, wearing only a smock or a shirt; in-to verrai naked ~, though it cost (sb. his) shirt; despoilen to (unto) ~, renden of to bar ~, to strip (sb.) of (his) outer garments; leven sengli on ~, wear only a shirt; (f) in prov. sayings; (g) a skirt, the skirt of a garment; -- also pl.; (h) in surname.
Associated quotations
a
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)139 : He..ches..Stiue here to shurte and gret sac to curtle.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)1444 : A-non to is þies þe schuyrte tilde, þe brech riȝt to is to.
- c1330 Orfeo (Auch)21/230 : He no hadde kirtel no hode, Schert, no noþer gode.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)191/9 : He yaf ofte his kertel and his sserte [Vices & V.(2): schorte] to þe poure uor god.
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3320 : On his bak this sherte he wered al naked Til that his flessh was for the venym blaked.
- (c1380) Stonor Suppl.2 : We lefte wt the scollemastyr..ij blanketts, ij yetys, ij yertes [?read: syertes] and a materis.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.445 : Þe kyng..fenge a scherte [vrr. schirte, schurt; L camisia], som þerof was i-wrouȝt wiþ gold.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)14.330 : I were nouȝt worthy..to were any clothes, Ne noyther sherte ne shone.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)63a/b : Subuncula: a shurte.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)447 : Schyrt: Camisia, interula.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)348 : Eche whiȝt in a white scherte & no wede ellys.
- c1450 In a valey (Lamb 853)28 : Þis bloodi scherte sche haþ on me sette.
- a1475(a1456) Shirley Death Jas.(Add 5467)15 : The Kyng that same tyme ther stondyng in his nyght gowne, all unclothid save his shirt, his cape, his combe, [etc.].
- (1466) Acc.Howard in RC 57359 : Item, the xij day of July, my mastyr paid for vj plyte and di. of lawne for shertes, x s. x d.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)955/29 : Insteede of a shurte, and in sygne of chastisemente, ye shall were a garmente.
- (a1474) Paston (EETS)2.364 : Item, a churt, pris xvj d.
- a1486 Arms Chivalry (Mrg M 775)43 : He schal have noo schirte up on him but a dowbelet of ffustean lynyd with satene cutte full of hoolis.
- a1500 Chartier Treat.Hope (Rwl A.338)105/27 : Hercules .. was .. slayne by a woman with a chirte that was enpoysoned.
- a1500 Conq.Irel.(Rwl B.490)43/5 : In doubill here about his body -- that on in styd of shyrt [Dub: shyrth].
- a1500 Galawnt pride (RwlPoet 34)10 : Thy schyrtte by-hynd ys all to-torne.
b
- c1300 Horn (LdMisc 108)68/1244 : Hys schirt lappe he gan take And wiped awey þat blake Þat was on hys swere.
- c1300 SLeg.Edm.Abp.(LdMisc 108)171 : Þare-of he hadde schuirte and briech fram necke to þe hiele.
- a1325 SLeg.Becket (Corp-C 145)619/260 : Þe here he dude on next is liche is fleiss is maister to be Sseorte and brech streit inou anon to þe kne.
- a1325 SLeg.Cross (Corp-C 145)393/101 : Þis emperor anon Aliȝte adoun & al is cloþes caste of euerichon Anon to is sserte & to is brech.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Th.(Manly-Rickert)B.2049 : He dide next his white leere Of clooth of lake fyn and cleere A breech and eek a sherte [vr. schart].
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.2482 : He smet..with his swerd þoruȝ doublet & sherte.
- (1470) Paston (EETS)1.351 : Item, I send ȝow ij scherte clothys, iche of iij ȝardys, of þe fynest þat is in thys towne.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)871 : Se that youre souerayne haue clene shurt & breche.
- c1450(?a1400) Chestre Launfal (Clg A.2)201 : Me fawtede hosyn and schon, Clenly brech and scherte.
- a1500(?a1475) Guy(4) (Cmb Ff.2.38)2528 : He made hym nakyd..Saue hys schurte and hys breke.
c
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)11858 : Warp he an his rugge..ænne cheisil scurte [Otho: seorte] & ænne pallene curtel.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)2262 : Linne cloth and schurte of selk.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Lev.8.7 : He cloþede þe bischoop wiþ alynnen sherte.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Lev.11.32 : Vpon what þyng falle eny þyng of þe fallen to deeþ of hem shal be polute, as wel þe trenen vessel & cloþynge as skynnys & heren shirtes [L cilicia].
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.197 : Where ben thanne the gaye robes and the softe shetes and the smale shertes?
- c1390 Susan.(Vrn)197 : Nou is susan in sale, sengeliche arayed, In A selken schert, with scholdres wel schene.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)227/73 : A shert of feyn holond.
- a1500(a1400) Ipom.(1) (Chet 8009)4846 : A shortte on [read: of] sylke had on hee.
d
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)283/184 : He dude of is Abite, and is schurte on him caste.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.2283 : Hercules this scherte on dede.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)2.99 : Þei shoulde nat faste ne for-bere sherte.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)2391 : Whan he was vnarmed to his sherte, She made first wassh his woundes smerte.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)41.259 : Thanne dide he Of his Schirte there.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)285/25 : I woll unarme me unto my shyrte.
e
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)1942 : Lef þou sengle on þy scherte, & bar-fot þou most go.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.2171 : As thei that were full of sorwe, Al naked bot of smok and Sherte.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.2179 : Thei gon hem forth..Al naked bot here schortes one.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.1852 : God woot what that May thoghte in hir herte Whan she hym saw vp sittyng in his sherte.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.1099 : Pandare..seyde, 'O thef, is this a mannes herte?' And of he rente al to his bare sherte.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.96 : Allas, I ne hadde ibrought hire in hire sherte!
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)5446 : They..hoten hem her full seruise, How sore that it do hem smerte, Into her naked sherte!
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)1238 : Ȝelden hem alle, Without brunee & briȝt wede, in her bar chertes.
- c1450(c1386) Chaucer LGW Prol.(1) (Benson-Robinson)405 : He..profereth him, ryght in his bare sherte, To ben ryght at your owen jugement.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)122/3637 : Daunger wacchith al nyght in his shert.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)556/28 : She lette dispoyle hym unto hys shurte, and so she lete put hym into a tombe.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)612/16 : Sir Lameroke lepte oute of the bed in his shurte.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1199/31 : I shall go in my shearte, bare-foote.
- c1475 Guy(1) (Cai 107/176)2600 : Rewthfully he dighte him there In his sherte allone with open heere.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)251/29 : Þen þys Emperoure..dyspoylut hym to his schorte.
- a1500 Merch.& S.(Cmb Ff.2.38)253 : Hys maystyr sawe hym come in hys schurte allone.
f
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1566 : Shapen was my deeth erst than my sherte.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4310 : I hadde leuere than my sherte That ye hadde rad his legende as haue I.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.1186 : I holde hym riche al hadde he nat a sherte [vrr. cert, serte, sert].
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)2629 : Syn fyrst that day that shapen was my sherte, Or by the fatal systren had my dom, So nygh myn herte nevere thyng ne com As thow, myn Ypermystre.
- (1440) Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)1566 : Thouȝ þing be neuyr so pryuy hid vndir schert, It may not be hid fro goddis brith yȝe.
- c1450(?a1405) Lydg.CBK (Frf 16)489 : Parcas sustren..my dethe shopen or my shert.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)93/2775 : His service..sat him nere than euyr sat him shert.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)107/3199 : Y trust to haue..More ioy then ther be stichis in my shert.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)179/5364 : Forto take yow nere me then my shert.
- (a1482) Doc.Cely in ES 42 (PRO S.C.1 51/52)p.152 : To sell all that I haue in to my schyrte.
g
- a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Arun 220)p.172 : The schirtes [vr. lappes; glossing:] eschours.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)8963 : Scho left hir syrte [Trin-C: shurte; Vsp: skirt] widuten schorne, And barfot wald ouer þat borne.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)79/26 : Abbott Saynt Benett was war of a lytle blak boy led hym oute be þe shurte of his clothis.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)188 : 'I pray the, ley forthe þi sherte þat I may ligge down and have a litle slepe;' she dude so, & he leyde downe his hede in hir shirte and byganne stronglye to slepe.
h
- (1177) in Pipe R.Soc.2680 : Roberto Sidcherte.