Middle English Dictionary Entry
taunī adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | taunī adj. Also taunẹ̄, taunei, tauneȝ, tan(e)i, t(h)annẹ̄. |
| Etymology | OFtané, tanné, AF tauné, p.ppl. of taner. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Of a brownish-orange color, tawny-colored; ~ water, tawny-colored dye; (b) as surname.
Associated quotations
a
- (1345-9) Wardrobe Acc.Edw.III(1) in Archaeol.3141 : Ad faciendum unum lectum de worsted..habentibus zonas taunes et curtinos de syndoun.
- (1366) Will York in Sur.Soc.481 : Do et lego Hugoni de Methelay unam tunicam taune furratam.
- (1388) Invent.Westm.in Archaeol.52265 : Item, casula murrei coloris de samyt..cum duabus tunicis de tawny samyt.
- (1395) EEWills5/34-6/1 : I deuyse to the same Alianore my doughter a tawne bed of silk, with hool celure and four curtyns of sute, and a keuerlit of selk ypoynet in that on side tawne and in that other side blu.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)5.196 : Þanne cam coueytise..in a tauny [vrr. tanne, Thanne] tabarde of twelue wynter age.
- (1419) *Will Buryf.155 : I beqweþe Jone my woman a taune bed with a testour.
- (1434) in Rec.B.Nottingham 2146 : De quibus peciis packi dictus Thomas..diet sive listet vel tincteret de bono et aequali colore..vj virid[i] et ij murreyȝ aut tawneȝ.
- (1469) Paston (EETS)1.541 : I pray yow send me an hat and a bonet..a murry bonet, and a blak or a tawny hat.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.B.259 : And she bee as oolde as Abrahaums modir..She woll depeynte hirsilf as fresshe as ony rose..Yelow vndre yelowe they couere and hide..That man wote not whethir is whethir, The yelow goolde or the tawny lethyr.
- (1482) Stonor2.149 : Delyvered to my Maister Syr Willm. Stoner, knyȝt..vj ȝerdes Saten tawney..v ȝerdes half damaske tawney..vj eln. holand cloth.
- (1487) Will Uvedale in SAC 3163 : I bequeathe my tawny velvet gowne to be made a chesible thereof and a cope if it will extend thereto.
- a1500(a1450) Ashmole SSecr.(Ashm 396)102/21 : Ther ben blak in the eyen..the which litell dropes have many colours, for they ben pale tany, or rede as sparkles of fire, and of colour sanguyne, blak, or white.
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)5/1 : To make taney water: Take blew and ley on þy cloþ and whenne hit is driȝe ley þer-on red, oþer put a litel red to þy blew.
b
- (c1276) Hundred R.Tower 1504 : Ide le Tauny.
- (1378) in Rymer's Foedera (1709-10)7.204 : Domini Thomas Tawne.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1475 Yale-BA.Artist.Recipes (Yale-BA R486.M43 1450) 96/24 : To make tanny water [vrr. To make towny water, Tawne.], take rede and ley hit on ȝalow and let hit dry.
Note: New spellings (tanni, touni).
Note: See similar recipes under tannen v., sense (b) 'ppl. tanned as adj.: tan in color'.
- a1525 BodEMus.52 Artist.Recipes (BodEMus 52) 186/22 : To make tanne water. Take blewe and ley upon þi cloth, and when it is drye ley þerupon rede.
Note: Postdates sense (a). Clarke points out that several of the recipes for tawney water (combining red and yellow) are actually for making murrey (combining red and blue).