Middle English Dictionary Entry
velvet n.
Entry Info
| Forms | velvet n. Also velvet(t)e, veluet, velueth, veluit, velwet(te, vel(l)ewet, velavet, velowet, veluwet, veldevet, welvet, welwet, welwit, welevette, weluette & felvet, feluet, felwet, fel(l)ewet, felewatte, feluwet; pl. veluet(t)es, veluetz, velewettis, velowettis, welvettes, (error) beluez. |
| Etymology | ML velvetum, vel(l)uetum, AL velwetum, wellvetum, felvetum, felwetum & OF velüet, velüete, AF velvet, velwet. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A soft, piled cloth, velvet; a piece of such cloth;
(b) in phrases: ~ upon ~, a patterned velvet cloth of some kind; ~ upon satin, ?a patterned velvet and satin cloth; also, in combs. or as adj.: ~ cremesin (motle), motle (murrei, satin) ~; ~ hat (mantel, wede, etc.);
(c) in conventional comparisons; softe as (ani) ~;
(d) velvet clothing; a velvet garment;
(e) hunt. the soft hair covering the growing antlers of a deer.
Associated quotations
a
- (1318) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.100374 : Baudekennys que venerunt cum d’no Antonio Ep’o…Item, ij [de] velueth, rubei coloris…ij baudek’n cum Angelis; Item, ij de auro, rubei coloris.
- (1358) Will York in Sur.Soc.468 : Vestimentum…de rubeo velvet.
- (1393) Acc.Exped.Der.in Camd.n.s.52288/14 : Pro panno de velewet et auro inuoluendo.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sq.(Manly-Rickert)F.644 : By hir beddes heed she made a mewe And couered it with veluettes [vrr. velowetys, veluetes] blewe.
- (1400) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)7.51 : [A long] embrauded [gown with a black sleeve, a short gown of black] feluwet.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)2027 : He warp on hymseluen His cote wyth þe conysaunce of þe clere werkez Ennurned vpon veluet.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.715 : Wevers also of wolne & of lyne…Of welwet, cendel, & double samyt eke.
- (1423) RParl.4.255a : Diverses persones…maken diverse werkes of Brauderie of unsuffisaunt stuff…as well upon Velowet, and Cloth of Gold, as upon all other Clothes of Silk.
- ?1435(1432) Lydg.Hen.VI Entry (Jul B.2)103 : The tour arrayed with welvettes soffte, Clothis off golde, sylke, and tapcerye.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)508 : Velvet, or velwet [Win: velvete, or velwette]: Velvetus.
- (1444) Will Daubeney in Som.RS 19340 : Y ordeyne to ye church of Baryngton my vestementes of blak ffelewet.
- (1446) Invent.Lytham in Chet.n.s.6029 : A Corporax the case of ye ton syde of rede veldevet & ye tother syde of cloth of gold.
- a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)3006 : Grete gyftes gaff he had…Of clothes of golde, and welwettes [vr. velavet] softe.
- c1450(c1430) Brut-1430 (Glb E.8)426/33 : There was…euyry strete hongid rychely with riche clothis of gold and silke, and of velewettis and clothis of araas.
- (1465) Paston2.314 : j peyre of bregandyrns keuert with blew fellewet and gylt nayle.
- (c1465) Invent.Cirencester in BGAS 18 (Bod 6530)329 : A purse of redde ffelewatte.
- (1466) in Cox Churches Derb.4.86 : Item, a corporax case of blak velvette.
- (1471) Will York in Sur.Soc.45194 : A nedyll howse of rede welwytt.
- a1475(c1441) Lament Duch.Glo.(Cmb Hh.4.12)114 : Farewell damaske and clothys of gold, ffarewell velwette and clothys in grayne.
- a1500(a1400) Ipom.(1) (Chet 8009)367 : His dobelett was of red welvet.
- c1450(?a1400) Chestre Launfal (Clg A.2)235 : Hare manteles were of grene felwet, Ybordured with gold, ryȝt well ysette.
- c1450(?a1400) Chestre Launfal (Clg A.2)950 : Her sadell was semyly set, Þe sambus were grene feluet.
- a1500(?a1400) Morte Arth.(2) (Hrl 2252)2615 : The mayde was full shene to shewe…Hyr paraylle All of one hewe, Off A grene weluette.
- -?-(1483) Will in Som.RS 16245 : To Allhalow Chirch of Aisheton my gown of blew feluett.
b
- (1351) Pat.R.Edw.III137 : j fanoun de murre velvet.
- (1400) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)7.78 : [A] felvet [covering for a lady’s carriage striped white, red and black].
- (1402) RParl.3.506a (2nd occurrence) : Que null homme, si ne soit Banret ou de pluis haute estate, use Draps d’or, de velwet, Draps de cremosyn, Draps de velwet motley.
- (1419) in Löfvenberg Contrib.Lex.42 : [Two cods of] satyn velvet [of] cremese [brocaded with gold].
- (1420-21) in Gras Eng.Cust.Syst.511 (1st occurrence) : i couple velvette cremesyn continent’ ii pecias et di., vi peciis velvette diversorum colorum continentibus xiiii pecias.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)1441 : Tweyn mantels vnto hem wer broght…Of cloth of golde and veluyt cremysyn.
- (1429) Will Braybroke in Ess.AST 5301 : I yeue…to the saide cherche…my principal vestiment of motle ueluet, cope, chesible, and ij tunicles.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)6.3482 : Purpil…Longeth to kynges…With clothes of gold & riche velwet weede.
- c1450(?a1422) Lydg.LOL (Dur-U Cosin V.2.16)5.361 : Wer ther of golde any clothez founde…Or was ther any veluet Crymesyne?
- (c1450) The Rote is ded (CotR 2.23)7 : I-closid we haue oure welevette hatte, That keueryd vs from mony stormys brown.
- (1480) Wardrobe Acc.Edw.IV in Nicolas PPExp.149 : Tisshue clothe of gold, xxj yerdes di. of grene and white velvet upon velvet.
- c1450(a1400) Libeaus (Clg A.2)838 : A veluwet [Ashm: vyolet] mantyll gay…Sche caste abowte her swyre.
- 1618(1440) Invent.Cumberworth in Peacock EChurch Furniture181 : For the highest feast in Holy Kyrke…a Corpax and the Case and all that needes to them to sing and minister in of read velvet vpon satyn.
- -?-(1459) Will in Som.RS 16189 : Auter clothes [with one] frountell [of red] velvett crymesyne.
c
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.2450 : Among þe bowes glade…he cauȝt a plesaunt slade…And soft as velwet was þe soft grene.
- c1450(?a1405) Lydg.CBK (Frf 16)80 : Softe as veluet the yonge gras That ther vpon lustely gan s[pr]yng.
- 1532(?a1400) RRose (Thynne)1420 : By the stremes…Sprange vp the grasse, as thicke yset And softe as any veluet.
d
- ?1435(1432) Lydg.Hen.VI Entry (Jul B.2)30 : Theyr clothing was off colour fful covenable, The noble Meire cladde in reede velvette.
- (1439) EEWills118/7 : My weddynggown And all my clothis of gold, and clothis of silke…I woll the howse of Tewkesbery haue hem, saue my Russet vellewet.
- c1440 Degrev.(Thrn)641 : Scho come in a veluet, With white perle ouerfret.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1196/10 : Sir Launcelot purveyed hym an hondred knyghtes, and all well clothed in grene velvet.
- 1591(?a1425) Chester Pl.(Hnt HM 2)443/151 : I in yearth rych can goe in softe sandalles and silke alsoe, velvet also that wrought me woe, and all such other weedes.
e
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)16 : Her hornes bene rekeuered with a soft here, þat hunters calle beluez [vr. veluetz].