Middle English Dictionary Entry
cappe n.
Entry Info
| Forms | cappe n. Also cap(e, cep. Pl. cappes; (early) cappen, keppen. |
| Etymology | OE cæppe (?also Merc. *ceppe) & ML cappa. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A headdress, a hat; esp., a small head covering worn under the hood; (b) a priest's close-fitting cap, the coif covering the tonsure; also, any kind of head covering for ecclesiastics; (c) a nightcap.
Associated quotations
a
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)113b : Ȝef ȝe muhen beo wimpelles & ȝe wel wullen, beoð bi warme cappen [Nero: keppen], & þer uppon hwite oðer blake veiles.
- c1330 Why werre (Auch)149 : But if he have hod and cappe fured, he nis noht i-told in covent.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.217 : Þei myȝte nouȝt in þe holy day suffre on hire piliouns and here cappes [L pileum] for hete.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.683 : But hood for iolitee wered he noon..Discheuelee saue his cappe he rood al bare.
- (1391) Doc.in Riley Mem.Lond.530 : [The] cappes [wanted fulling and were oiled with grease that was rank..Therefore, it was ordered that the said] cappes [should be burnt in Chepe].
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)8.174 : Ȝe may see by my sygnes þat sitten on my cappe [A: hat; B: hatte].
- (1406) Wardrobe Acc.Philippa in Archaeol.67175 : Ad furrur' unius cappe de bevir.
- a1425(c1384) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Ezek.23.14 : She seeȝ men..and cappis [L tiaras] died, or steyned, in the heedis of hem.
- ?a1425 Const.Masonry(1) (Roy 17.A.1)703 : Holde of thy cappe and hod also.
- (1442) Will York in Sur.Soc.3084 : j blak stra cappe.
- (1446) Will York in Sur.Soc.45102 : De v rede caps ij s. vj d. De viij bonet caps ij s.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)97/6 : He founde a pylgreme that had..a cappe full of broches.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)191 : They set hir signes oppon hir hedis, and som oppon hir cappe.
- (1465) Paston4.203 : Item, a payr botys, a payr sporys, a shert, a cappe, a hatte, a dobelet, a payr hosyn.
- c1475 Ye prowd (Hrl 372)251 : Ye prowd galonttes hertlesse, With your hyghe cappis witlesse.
- a1500 Aboue all thing (Roy 17.B.47)261 : Yt makyth the galandes to jett And for to were gorgeouse ther gere, Ther cappes awry to sett.
b
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)60 : Cappe [Win: Cape]: Cappa..Campedulum [Win: Capedulum].
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)61 : Cappe, or hure, for clerkys [Win: Cape, ornament for clerkis]: Tena.
- (1446) Will York in Sur.Soc.45102 : De ij capps duplicibus pro capellanis iij s. iiij d..De vj preste caps, syngle, ij s.
- (1466) Rec.St.Stephen in Archaeol.5038 : Item, j hole sute of vestmentes of whyte damask with stolys..and alle that longes to preste dekyn and subdekyn of the same sute, and also three Capys acordyng to the same sute.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) Ctn.(Hrl 2261)457 : This cruelle peple..sette the hedde of the archebischop of Cawnterbery þer, naylynge faste his cappe to his forhede.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)42/20 : Raynald, wyth hys swerdys poynt, put of his cappe..and smot at hym.
- a1500 Hrl.1002 Gloss.(Hrl 1002)629 : Caleptra: cappe.
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)721/37 : Hec caleptra: a coppe.
c
- (1402-3) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.99217 : 7 cappe pro noctibus.
- 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, his coverchif.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)964 : Þe kercheff and cappe on his hed, hit wolde be warmely wounde.
2.
(a) A cap of mail worn under the helmet; (b) the top of a pot or bowl, cover; (c) one of the bands of wood or leather fastened about the end of the flail staff or the end of the swingle [cp. fleil ~]; (d) med. & surg. a cap worn over a dressing; a kind of dressing for a head wound; a covering for the end of the finger, a finger-stall.
Associated quotations
a
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)731 : A smot him on þe helm an heȝ..& for-carf ys cappe of maille; Wyþ þat stroke a schar away a gret del of ys hare.
b
- (1451) Lin.DDoc.49/4 : The gret boll of siluar with armys of Stayne in ye cep.
- a1500 Hrl.2378 Recipes (Hrl 2378)87/12,13 : Thanne do hem take and wring into a vessel wit wax and lat it stand in the vessel refeter, and thanne lift op the cappe aboue and the wyn and the filthe from the cappe doun-ward.
c
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)61 : Cappe of a fleyle: Meditentum [Win: Mediteritrum].
- c1450 Trin-C.LEDict.(Trin-C O.5.4)570/28 : Cappa: the cappe of a fleyle.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)21b : A Cape [Monson: Cappe] of a flayll: Cappa siue Cappynge.
d
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)73a/b : It is þe counsaile of alle worchers þat þay þat ar wounded in þe heued haue in þe heued a coife or a cap [*Ch.(2): lite hatte;L capellinam] of strong lynnen cloþ and wel bounden..in which al þe ligaturez be sewed.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)142b/b : After þat it [fingernail] falleþ, it bihoueþ..þat it be not touched bot be kept with a cappe [*Ch.(2): fyngrestele; L pileo] of brasse or latoun or syluer.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)66 : Bynde þe hed wyþ a volyper, and sette a kappe aboue.
- a1500 Sln.521 Recipes (Sln 521)135/9 : Bynd þe hefd with a voliper, and set a kap a-boue.
3.
(a) In phrases: ~ of astate (maintenaunce), a cap borne beside the king as a symbol of authority; lambes ~, a lamb's cap; fig. sheep's clothing; setten ~, make a fool (of sb.); (b) ~ knitter, a maker of knitted caps; ~ maker, a maker of caps; ~ man, a maker or seller of caps; ~ thikker, a fuller of felted caps; ~ womman, a woman who makes or sells caps.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.586 : Of maistres hadde he mo than thries ten That weren of lawe expert and curious..And yet this maunciple sette hir aller cappe.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mil.(Manly-Rickert)A.3143 : I wol telle..How that a clerk hath set the wrightes cappe.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.A.2195 : He might happe goo ferre in many a regioun To seke after a lambe and fynde a leoun Or a wolfe couered in a lambes cappe.
- a1525(?1457) Cov.Leet Bk.299 : The Erle of Stafford bere his [the king's] Cap of astate, & Sir John Tunstall his swerde.
- a1600(1472) Rec.Bluemantle (Jul C.6)382 : The King come into the parlement chamber in his parlement robes, and on his hed a cap of mayntenaunce.
b
- (1260) Close R.Hen.III152 : Serlo le Capman.
- (1285) in Fransson Surn.116 : Ric. le Capman.
- (1310) Sub.R.Bdf.in Suf.GB 1890 : Thomas le Capman.
- (1323) Close R.Edw.III33 : John Capman.
- (1332) in Fransson Surn.116 : Letic' Capman.
- (c1346) in Fransson Surn.116 : Joh. Capman.
- (1377-8) Will Court Hust.(Gldh)2.199 : [To Emma his wife..he leaves..all the woollen material lying in his house belonging to the craft of] cappemaker.
- (1380) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms213 : Gilb. le Cappemakere.
- (1391) Doc.in Riley Mem.Lond.530 : [Stephen Roo and John Herlowe] cappemakers.
- (1446) Will York in Sur.Soc.45105 : Cuidam capmaker de eadem, xl s.
- (1465) Act Ripon in Sur.Soc.64120 : Marjoria Claton, cappeknytter.
- (?1480) Let.Cely (PRO 53/128)p.86 (97/5) : I pray yow let yowr man do so myche ffor me as to go .. to the cap-maker next beyond William Kenettys .. and let hym resceyue off hym vj sengell bonotys off dyuers colors as I bespake ffor.
- -?-(1363) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms213 : Ad. Knoye, cappmaker.
- -?-(1419) Reg.Freemen York in Sur.Soc.96127 : Willelmus Stanwygges, capman.
- -?-(1422) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms213 : Will. Morter, capknytter.
- -?-(1430) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms213 : Beatrix Katon, capewoman.
- -?-(1499) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms213 : Joh. Royse, cappthiker.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. cap.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1450 Const.Masonry(1) (Clg A.2)5
: When þou comeste be-fore a lorde In halle, yn bowre, or at þe borde, Hoode or kappe þou of þo [read: do].
Note: Additional quot. for sense 1.(a).
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section is incomplete and needs revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED. (Note, among others, forms with k-.--notes per MLL
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 ?Scrope Ribot First Monks (Lamb 192)104/23 : The sevynte chapter makit also mencyon why the latter professowrys of thys relygion forsokyn barryd pallys & gon a[t] thys tyme in whytt coapys [L capis albus].
Note: New form.