Middle English Dictionary Entry
cotǒun n.
Entry Info
| Forms | cotǒun n. Also kotun, cot(e)in, cotom, couton. |
| Etymology | OF coton; ult. Ar. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The plant yielding cotton; (b) raw cotton, cotton fiber, cotton wool; cotton fiber spun into yarn or thread; candle-wicking of cotton; ~ candel, candles made with cotton wicking; ~ sponni, cotton yarn or thread; ~ wolle, raw cotton; (c) cloth made of cotton; also, ?(woolen) cloth with a cottony nap, Welsh cotton; ~ cloth; ~ roll, cotton (or napped) cloth in the roll; ~ roset, cotton russet, a kind of russet cloth.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)192/26 : Men putten in werk the sede of cotoun [F cotoun]. And þei sowen it euery ȝeer & þan groweth it in smale trees.
b
- (1286) Wardrobe Acc.de Clare in Archaeol.7028 : Pro ij libris Coton' et ij libris Cadac'.
- (1300-1) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.100503 : In Cotun et lichino ad candelam.
- (1304) in Gras Eng.Cust.Syst.169 : De i sacco de cotun.
- (1393) in Gras Eng.Cust.Syst.554 : iii balis coton' wolle.
- (1396) in Rec.B.Nottingham 1314 : Matilda Okkebrok' et uxor..vendunt candelas sine cotun.
- (a1399) Oath Bk.Colchester8 : Coton, sponny..Coton wolle.
- (1423) Doc.Brewer in Bk.Lond.E.155/475 : For v lb. of Coton candell yn morwenyng & euenyng to Carpenters.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)10a/b : Bombax: cotun.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)128b/b : Put in carta bombicina i. cotoun [*Ch.(2): a pece of cotoun; L charta bombicina] to þe fourme of a mirte lefe.
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)56/9 : Draw a threde of cotome thurghe it.
- (a1443) Proc.Chanc.in Cal.PCEliz.1.p.xxxii : He..hath made candell of talghe with weyke of flex, to serve hem as well..as candell made with weyke of cotoun.
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)336 : They [the Genoese] bringe wyth hem..Coton.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)210 : Stop þyn eren wyþ cotyn.
- (1466) Acc.Howard in RC 57213 : Paid to Dole for makenge of candelle and for cotone to the same.
- a1500 Platearius CInstans (Cmb Ee.1.13)7/22,24 : For nose bleding, wete kotun in þe iuse of sanguinary and spring þeron þe powdre of antimonie & put hit in his nose; for emerodis, medull þe iuse of softe and þe poudre of antemonium togedre, and wete kotun þerin and ley vpon hem.
c
- (1415) Will York in Sur.Soc.4382-3 : j flameolum de coton..unum rotulum de flameolo de coton.
- (1420-1) in Gras Eng.Cust.Syst.514 : xvii pec[iis] kerch[efs] de cotton'.
- (1423) Will York in Sur.Soc.4575 : Pro pare cirothecarum de coton, browdid.
- (a1425) Stonor1.40 : For blake couton for the herse clothe.
- (1446) Will York in Sur.Soc.45104 : De iiij uln. coton roll.
- (1453) Grocer Lond.(Kingdon)323/31 : Coton, Sypris, or basselan.
- (c1470) Stonor Suppl.9 : Item iij yerdes of Cotteyn..vij yerdes of Coton roset.
- (1474) Let.Bk.Lond.L (Gldh LetBk L)117 : Goodes of Coton cloth and Frise.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)935 : Looke þer be blanket, cotyn or lynyn to wipe þe neþur ende.
- a1500 Hrl.1002 Gloss.(Hrl 1002)629 : Bumbicinium uestis: kotyn or pakclothe.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1450 Mandev.(4) (CovCRO Acc.325/1)2272 : Here in Englonde beth many pepleren, That smalle many beries beren, And better cotoune is nawhere Than thoo grene beries bere.
Note: New sense
Note: Gloss: a cotton-like fiber found in berries of the European poplar.
Note: Note on these lines from EETS 269, p. 119: "None of the indigenous poplar or willow trees have beries, although several bear catkins of a soft wool-like texture."
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section may not be complete. Revised form section: Also cotoune, coton(e, cotome, cotton, cottein, cotun, cotin, kotin, couton.--per MLL
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?a1425 Cmb.Dd.6.29 Artist.Recipes (Cmb Dd.6.29) 70/21 : Take a pense and moyste þi syse wiþ þi spottol, and ly þi gold þeron, and faste hit wiþ coton, and let hit driȝe.
Note: Additional quot., sense (b).
- ?c1500 Hrl.2252 Artist.Recipes (Hrl 2252) 74/34 : Take of a here þat men call þe hodlow or a pese of catten, and lyghtlye presse þi golde or thy syluer downe on þi syse.
- a1500 Dc.45 Artist.Recipes (Dc 45) 146/30 : Ley þy gold ful þeroppon, and softeley ley hyt with cotynt.
Note: Postdates sense (b). New spellings (catten & cotynt).
- ?c1500 Hrl.2252 Artist.Recipes (Hrl 2252) 75/6 : When þu haste burnysshed it, take a wollyn clowte with the coton theron and rubbe all away, saue þat holdythe with the syse.
- a1525 BodEMus.52 Artist.Recipes (BodEMus 52) 193/10 : Take a wollen clothe with þe cotone and rube all awey, saffe þat þe syce holdeth.
Note: Clarke's gloss = 'nap, pile, fluff (of cloth)'. ?New sense.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. cotton.