Middle English Dictionary Entry
tunicle n.
Entry Info
| Forms | tunicle n. Also tunikel, tunekel, tunacle, tunakelle, tunakil, tinecle, tinacle, tinacul, tonicle, tonecle, tonakil; pl. tunicles, etc. & tuniculis, tuniculus, tunikellis, tunaklis, tunnicles, tunnik(k)lis, teniclis, teneclus, tenacles, tinicles, toneklis, tonekillis, tonikel. |
| Etymology | L tunicula, ML tunicella, tunicale, tunicla, AL tonicula & OF tunicle, tonicle, tenicle, ONF tunikiel. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Eccl. A vestment similar to, or sometimes identical with, the dalmatic or the alb specifically assigned to the subdeacon assisting at the Mass; vestement of ~; (b) a regal or ceremonial garment of similar design, usu. richly ornamented; a fine robe; (c) anat. a membrane, sheath, or layer of tissue lining or enveloping a bodily organ or member.
Associated quotations
a
- (1362) Doc.Coldingham in Sur.Soc.12p.xl : In primis tres capae, iiij casulae, ij tunnykklys.
- c1400 Dream Bk.(2) (Sln 1609)56 : Almatica. To be clothed with a tonecle [L Albam uel dalmaticam uestire], it be-toknith brythnesse & gladnesse.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)19a/b : Dalmatica:..a tynecle.
- (1429) Will Braybroke in Ess.AST 5302 : I yeue & assigne..also a vestiment of blak bawdekyn, with a tonycle, and ye Aube longyng therto.
- (1435) Will York in Sur.Soc.3053 : Lego..duas tunaklis de nigro arras pulverizatas cum auro de Luke.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)496 : Tonycle: levitonarium.
- (1447) Acc.St.Mary Thame in BBOAJ 11116 : Itm. ij Chesebyll and i tonakyll of white.
- (1447) Doc.in HMC Rep.3 App.316a : Item, ii copis, i chesepill, ii tunyclis with other ornamentes of blew veluet..i white tynacle of fustian, i white cloth for the high auter.
- (1448) Pet.Hen.VI in Archaeol.167 : First for the embrowdyng golde silke and othe' stuff of ij copis chesibill et ij Tonykel.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)1161 : Tunyculus & chesepulus he made mony one & mantillus, enbroudrid wt golde fulle redde, & mitrus y-cowchud wt mony a ryalle ston; Bot of worldlyche clothus of pryde he ne toke hede.
- a1450 St.Etheldr.(Fst B.3)806 : Seynt Wilfride come þo anone þat tombe to..And alle hurre couent also he dude forthe calle, With copus and teneclus of ryȝt gode aray.
- (1450) Lin.DDoc.38/14 : Item, j hole sewte of blew, that is to say, a Cope of Damaske, j Chesiple, & ij Tynicles.
- c1450 Bk.GGrace (Eg 2006)28/8 : Sche sawe owre lorde standynge nere the awtere lyke a dekene in a tunakelle.
- (1455) Acc.St.Ewen in BGAS 15149 : In primis the best suyt of grene with fleurys of gold, that is to sey, the coope, the chesyple, tunnycles, three awbys, three amysses, with the stoolys and the parurs therto.
- (1466) in Cox Churches Derb.4.85,86 : Item, A red sute next to the beste, A chesabull, ij albes, iij amyses, ij tenacles with stoles and faunauxes..Rede purpull sewte with iij albes, iij Ameses..ij tynaculs and fanancs to them.
- (1468-9) Acc.St.Michael Bath in SANHS 2567 : Pro emendacione cape cericis et ij tenyclys, xj s.
- (1469) Liber Albus Oxf.78 : I giff and bequeth to the paroch chirche..a sorte of vestments of blew damaske..a chesipill, ij tonekelys, with all other aparell therto apperteynyng.
- (1474) Doc.Reynys in MP 14 (Tan 407)3 : Iohn Hendy Roberd Reynys..bowte A vestement of Red velvet pouderyd wt floures of gold complet, yt is seyn, A Cope, A Chesapyll, and ij tonekyllys.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)131b : A tunacle: dalmatica, tunica, tunicula.
- a1500 Add.37075 Gloss (Add 37075)62/2982 : Tunicale, dalmatica: tunakyll.
- ?a1500 Lndsb.Nominale (Lndsb)755/30 : Hec dalmatica: a tonykyl.
- (1459) Invent.Fastolf(2) in Archaeol.21276 : Item, j Vestement of tunekell.
b
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)15.163 : Charite..is as gladde of a goune of a graye russet As of a tunicle of tarse [C: a cote of cammoka] or of trye scarlet.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)4.236 : He..ther conquered for a prerogatiff Sondri crownes, with many riche stone, Whan [read: Wan] tunicles of gold ful many one.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1547 : Doctours & diuinours..& iogis of þe lawe Ware tired all in tonacles of tarrayn webbis.
- a1486(a1460) Coron.Kings Eng.in Archaeol.57 (Mrg M 775)49 : When all these blessyngis be done, the kynge shall be clothid bi the abbot of westmynst' with a longe tunycle wovyn wt greet ymages of golde before and behynde upon the forseyde mantell of estate.
c
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)179/27 : Þe glasy humour..kepiþ þe humour cristallyn for [read: fro] touchinge and scharpnes of tunycles.
- ?a1425 Chauliac(1) (NY 12:Wallner)1.118/27 : Omentum..is a pannicle, inuoluyng & coueryng þe stomac & þe entrelez, of 2 dense tuniclez & subtile.
- ?a1425 Chauliac(1) (NY 12:Wallner)1.120/3 : Entralez..bene vesselez made with 2 tuniclez to parfourme þe first digestioun.
- ?a1425 Chauliac(1) (NY 12:Wallner)4.47/17 : Þis y-added þat he ligge not ne slepe not vp-on þat side in which is þe vlcere, þat þe sanie corrode not þe tunniclez of þe eyen.
- ?a1425 Chauliac(3) (Htrn 95)33/19 : Þe vtilite whi þat þes nerui optici taken a tunikel oþer a pellikel of þe pia mater is be cause þat þe nerues schulde be diffended fro lesion and harme.
- ?a1425 Chauliac(3) (Htrn 95)36/7 : Ysofagus is..compounde of two tunikellis, wulled oþer cotounde wiþ-inne, continued wiþ þe pellikel of þe mouþe.
- ?a1425 Chauliac(3) (Htrn 95)66/16-19 : Þe vtilite whi þat þe inner tunikel of þe stomake is neruous is be cause þat he schulde fele his inanicioun and haue þe more appetite; þe vtilite whi þat þe vtter tunikel is more carnous is be cause þat þoruȝ his hete and his þicknesse he schulde hete þe vertue digestiue off þe stomake.
- a1450 Chauliac(4) (Cai 336/725)28/2 : Of eleuacioun of þe vuee, þat is, þe grapi webbe or tunicle of þe iȝe.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)23b/a : Þe verri soþe is þat þer ben in þe yȝe vij tuniclis, þat is to witen, þe firste is sclirotica tunica, the secunde is secundina tunica, [etc.].
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)23b/a : For to witen how and wherof þese tuniculis comeþ, it schulde be seen by þis processe: þou schuldist vndirstonden þat þer springiþ of þe braynys substaunce..two senewis, [etc.].
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)35a/b : Þer springiþ also tweyne arteries, of þe which oon haþ oonly but oon tunicle as a veyne.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)43a/a : Wiþ þe bladdre, nyȝ his necke, ben conteyned þe lowere pissinge poris, bringinge þe pisse from þe reynes, which priuily entriþ þe holis of þe vttere tunicle of þe bladdre.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. tunicle.