Middle English Dictionary Entry
tāper n.
Entry Info
| Forms | tāper n. Also tapere, tapir, tapor, tapour, tapur, tapre, tapper & (in surname) tapier; pl. taper(e)s, etc. & (early) taporæs, (SWM) teaperes & (error) taperc. |
| Etymology | OE tapor, taper, tapur, (K) teaper. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A candle, usu. of wax; also fig. as an epithet for the Virgin Mary [quot. c1426]; lighten (tenden) ~; (b) ~ berere, an acolyte; ~ candel, a candle; ~ dish, a candleholder; taper(es light, lighted candle(s; ~ makere; estern (pascale) ~, the paschal candle burned at the Easter season; offringe ~, a lighted candle given as an offering in a religious ceremony; (c) ~ wort [cp. OE candel-wyrt], the herb mullein (Verbascum thapsus); (d) in surnames.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175(?OE) HRood (Bod 343)10/14 : Isih þis wunder þe on ðissum ȝyrdon iwroht is..ða þreo ȝyrdæ beornende swylce þer ðreo taporæs burnon.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)47 : We ogen to heren ure hlouerd ihesu crist..and on ure honde beren candele berninde, taper oðer candele—eiðer bitocneð þis þeau.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)42/13 : Strupeð hire steort-naket..& ontendeð hire bodi wið bearninde teaperes [Roy: taperes; L lampadibus].
- a1275 *St.Marg.(2) (Trin-C B.14.39)299 : Cherubin ant serafin..mit tapres ant mit sensers, to heuene he ir [Margaret] bere.
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)4031 : Þar weren in þan temple ten þousend manne and ech bar an honde ane tapere [Clg: þechene] bernende.
- a1325 SLeg.Brendan (Corp-C 145)334 : Þo com þere a vury arwe..and þe tapres tende echon.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)11027 : Þe king & oþere sede amen & hor taperes adoun caste To confermi þe mansinge.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)48/1339 : Accolyt hys To bere tapres aboute Wanne me schel rede þe gospel Oþer offry to oure dryte.
- a1350 SLeg.Patr.(Ashm 43)521 : Aȝen him þer com gon A procession..Wiþ crois & wiþ taperes, wiþ baners swiþe clere.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.43 : His wode moder..beet hym almost to þe deth wiþ tapers [L cereis candelis] for sche hadde nouȝt elles in honde; þerfore he hated taperes [vr. taperlyȝt] al his lyftyme.
- (1389) Lond.Gild Ret.in Bk.Lond.E.(PRO C 47/var.)52/68 : Þer schul be founde vijc tapres rounde, the wighte of xxj li. wex, for to be liȝt on heiȝe Feste dayes.
- (1400) Will York in Sur.Soc.4518 : Expensæ Funerales..in v magnis tapers pur le herce, pond. xl lb. ceræ.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)17.203 : To a torche or a tapre þe trinitee is lykned, As wex and a weke were twyned togideres And þanne a fyre flaumende forth out of bothe.
- c1400 Bk.Mother (Bod 416)42/17 : Þe white crisme cloþ bitokeneþ..chast loue..Þe tapur or þe candele þat þe prest takeþ in þin hond..bitokeneþ þin entencioun þat schulde be simple.
- (1401) Will in Anc.1019 : I preye..that ther be non maner of cost don aboute my biryngge..save twey taperc [?read: tapers] of wex, and anon as i be ded, thud me in the erthe.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)246/8,10 : If þere were manye þat baren candelis or tapris, summe of an ounce, summe þe weyȝte of two ouncis or mo..and alle goon for to fette liȝt in her tapris, þou woldist seye þat þou sest hem alle bere liȝt, hete, and colour.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)158/103 : Haile! tapere þat euer is tent..Hayle! moder of merce.
- (1449) Acc.St.Mary Thame in BBOAJ 875 : For makyng yn of that same wex to squar tapyrys, vii d.
- c1450(a1400) Orolog.Sap.(Dc 114)386/31 : Þe day of þe circumcisione of oure lorde..offer a tapir of [?read: or] a serge byfore þe auter or þe crucifix in þe worschip of hym þat is euerlastynge liȝte.
- ?c1450 in Aungier Syon Mon.340 : Whan the procession is ended..the tapers schall be set up on the autyr but the torches schal abyde by the sacrament.
- (1463) Will Bury in Camd.4922 : viij d. to the resurreccion gilde that viij d. taperis may be light at the dirige and messe the same tyme.
- c1470 Bible F.(Cleve-W q091.92-C468)81/5 : Ther was a cofre..and al about that xij gret chaundelers of siluer of Arabie, echone with a gret tapour of virgin wax brennyng.
- (1473-4) Acc.Cowfold in Sus.AC 2317 : iiij tapres in onorem Beatæ Katerinæ..xiij s. iiij d..to fynd a tapre afor Sante Antonie.
- a1486 Knts.Bath in Archaeol.57 (Mrg M 775)68 : They schall have a masse of the holy goste and then they schall offir a tapir and a peny stikynge in the tapir as nye the lyght as it may resonably.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.PP (GoughETop 4)127/16,36 : Þe paschall is þe chef tapor þat is in þe chyrch..and of hyt all oþyr tapyrs byn lyȝt.
- a1500(c1465) SEChron.(Lamb 306)63 : This yere Dame Elynor Cobham..was made to go throwe London, openly beryng a taper in hir hande by pennaunce.
- -?-(1466) Will in Som.RS 16209 : I will that a taper of wex of a pound weight every yere..at the service tyme after none, be lighted.
b
- c1330 St.Greg.(Auch)81/355 : Prest and clerk stode þer bi Wiþ tapers liȝt and holy boke [Vrn: Wiþ laumpe liht, Condul, and bok], And þe child..He cristned.
- c1400 Glo.Chron.A (Add 19677)9350 : Offrynge taper.
- c1400 Bk.Mother (Bod 416)51/18 : Gostlich þou miȝt go into þe temple wiþ Marie, offringe up þi soule wiþ goode werkis, and so þou offrist up Crist wiþ a tapir liȝt brennynge.
- (1427-8) Acc.St.Michael Oxf.in OAST 7819 : Solut' Iohanni Miltone yremongere..in mundacione le taper disshis..ii d.
- a1450(c1433) Lydg.St.Edm.(Hrl 2278)430/921 : Ryche and poore..Kam on pilgrymage with sondry tapris lyht.
- (1443) Acc.St.Mary Thame in BBOAJ 827 : Estertapur.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)313 : Þe chirche makiþ þe paschal tapir forto represente þe persoon of crist and his abidyng wiþ þe apostlis fro tyme of his resurreccoun into his ascensioun.
- (1447-8) Acc.Yatton in Som.RS 485 : Y payde to Hurneman vor..the makyng of Ester tapyr, xx d.
- (1448) Acc.St.Mary Thame in BBOAJ 1350 : We payde for wex to ye rode lyght..& for tapur candyllis fro Estr on til Cristmas vi s. ix d. qt.
- ?c1450 in Aungier Syon Mon.342 : Lay brethren must helpe in distribucion of..candels to the quyer, sustrys, and seculers..they schal reuerently holde them styl in ther handes, ȝe also the taperebererars [read: tapere berars] as moche as they may..in to tyme they haue offred hem at autyr to the preste.
- (1452) Acc.St.Mary Thame in BBOAJ 978 : Item, for ye makyng off ix lb. of old wex to tapur candull, ix d.
- (1457-8) Acc.Yatton in Som.RS 499 : Recevede for the pascall tapyr..v s. ix d.
- a1500(?a1400) Morte Arth.(2) (Hrl 2252)3533 : Than saw he..A tombe..And..There-on An herse..With an c tappers lyghte.
- a1500 Add.37075 Gloss (Add 37075)19/111a : Tapyr berer.
- a1500 Add.37075 Gloss (Add 37075)75/312b : Cerarius: tapermaker.
c
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)49a : Moleyne oþer taperwort: take þe levys and bray ham smale and fry ham..and þen do hit opon a lyn cloþe and..lett him sit vpon hit that hauyth the emorodis.
d
- (1166) in Pipe R.Soc.934 : Wulnod' Taper.
- (1286) Close R.Edw.I433 : Geoffrey Tapyer.
- (1322) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms203 : Ric. le Tapermaker.
- (1332) Sub.R.Sus.in Sus.RS 10293 : Johe Taper.
- (1340) Rec.Oriel in OHS 85188 : William Tapermaker.
- (1396-7) Acc.Abingdon in Camd.n.s.5166 : Johannes Tapermaker'.