Some obscure and unusual words come to light while looking back at the history of headgear. Having recently finished reading The Professor and the Madman (by Simon Winchester, HarperCollins 1998) about the origins of the Oxford English Dictionary, I thought it might be fun, and the definitions and etymology of some of these ancient terms, most of which are completely But exploring disappeared from modern use. [I am this project in three or four parts of resolution, so stay tuned.]
To qualifylook for the reception, the word needs to show a wavy red line on the Microsoft Word spell check "tool. So, here goes:
Petasus
Forms: 15 - petasus, 18 - petasos.
[<Classical Latin petasus wide-brimmed hat worn by the traveler and by the god Mercury (or Hermes) and its etymon Hellenistic Greek <ancient Greek spread (see PETAL n.) + -, suffix forming nouns. Cf. Middle French petasus (1579; French petas).]
A low-crownedBroad-brimmed hat worn, esp. represented for travel, in ancient Greece; (Classical Myth.) hat of this type, the god Hermes (or Mercury), often referred to as the wearing. Also: the brimmed winged hat which Hermes is represented wearing in the later art.
1577 J. GRANGE Golden Aphroditis 89 Mercurie that craftie theeuish & iugling with Petasus on his head and a caduceus on his side of God. 1601 B. Jonson Fountaine of Selfe-love V. vii. 47 A Petasus or Mercuriall Hat. 1601 B. Jonson in R.Chester Loves Martyr 178 Though he and his sisters steal Pegasus, and gun him or his pawn Petasus. 1636 King & Queen Entert. Richmond (1903) sig. C 1, From that come from wearing a captain in Soul Diers habit, according to the old British fashion, from the Romans, a short skirt, which was carried almost to its knees scales, and one on his head a Petasus. 1692 O. WALKER Greek & Rome. Hist. I. VI. 69 Mercury, the messenger of the gods, has his caduceus and Petasus. 1742 J.Arbuthnot Tables Antient 145 The Petasus was a kind of traveling cap. 1842 J. Yates, Proc. Philol. Soc. (1854) 1 9 .. The dress consists of boots, a scarf .. .. And a petasus tied under the chin. 1880 Jrnl. Greek Stud 1 174 in the second instance, bears the Hermes petasos, and that enough should be noted, the god Hermes. 1934 Antique 8 165 petasos He wears on his head. 1992 WJ Friedlander Golden wall of Med I. App. He sc 161 [ Hermes Trismegistus] is an elderly, bearded man, full ofclothed, without petasus, Talaria or Caduceus
Tutulus
Archaeol.
[L. tutulus.]
A Roman head covering by braiding the hair in a cone above the forehead, worn esp formed. by Flemings and his wife.
1753 CHAMBERS Cycl. Supp., Tutulus, among the Romans, a kind of dress to the hair, by collecting them on the forehead in the shape of a tower ... Tutulus also meant a woolen cap with a high peak. 1816 J. Dallaway Statuary & Sculpt. vi. 321 The head covering isThe wife of a pontifex, .. The tutulus or rolled up on the hair with a cord around the crown of the head. 1891 FARRAR Darkne. & Dawn xxvi, Domitia Lepida whose tutulus or conical head ~ dress, it was the exclusive task of the slave-girls to decorate.
Pileus
[<Classical Latin p leus, variant pilleus felt (and p from petroleum, pilleum, feminine), of unknown origin. Cf. ancient Greek felt, felt. It is not clear whether the male or the neuter is theoriginal form of the Latin word. Forms with pill are recorded in inscriptions and early MSS. Pl may have forms with the influence of the ancient Greeks (who are also the masculine form in Latin conducted to show), although both words are of unknown origin and can loan words.]
1. Classical Hist. One felt no margins. Also in extended use.
Freq. identified with the cap of liberty (see cap given n.1 4g), Roman slaves on emancipation, and thus also as a symbol of the adoptedFreedom.
1663 E. WATERHOUSE Fortescutus illustratus 568 The reason why Homer does not mention times Pileus, nor any of the antient statues other then bare headed. 1737 G. ENGLAND Enq. Morals Ancients 262 A Cap of Liberty on her head, like the slaves that have been made to bear free us'd in Rome, called Pileus. 1776 J. Adams Familiar Lett. (1876) 210 For the seal, he proposes, on one side .. Liberty, with its pileus ... Mag 1835 Mechanics'. 10. January 256 / 2 It is quite contrary to the classicalAuthority or agency, Pileus Liberty Cap on the head of the figure representing Liberty. 1889 G. Gissing underworld I. XII. To the 252-days are the slaves of industrialism don the hat. 1957 J. BISHOP Day Christ died (1959) 305 He had molded into the shape of a hat, a Roman hat, in oval, felt generally out of date. 1992 Amer. Jrnl. Archaeol. 96 494 / 2 The medal is illuminated from the front ... Vulcan wears a white hat.
2. Mycol. The top of a basidiomycete, an extendedStructure at the top of the stalk that the hymenium (gills, so bear) on its underside.
1760 J. LEE Introd. Bot II XXXI. 151 Agaricus, with the Pileus on a Stipes. 1821 WJ Hooker Flora Scotica II 22 Pileus deep buff, bluntly conical. 1875 AW Bennett & WTT DYER tr J. Sachs Text-bk. Bot 249 The naked pilei originally gymnocarpous. 1911 HG Wells Country of Blind XVII. 249 The purple pileus caught his eye ... Then he saw that it was the beginning of a purple mushroom.1997 Amer. Jrnl. Bot 84 981 Two fruiting bodies of Archaeomarasmius found. One consists of a complete pileus with handle.
3. Ornithol. = PILEUM n. Obs. 0 rare.
1890 Cent. Dict., Pileus in techn. How pileum.
Headscarf
[Late OE. pennant = (M) LG., (M) Du. pennant, OHG. wimpal veil, banner (MHG, G. pennant streamers, pennants), ON. vimpill (Sw., Da. vimpel from LG.), where OF. guimple (mod. F. Wimple), which dropped the veil of time-variant with the native form.Ultimate origin uncertain.
It is doubtful whether the provisional meaning and brought together here in the context of the VB. all belong to the same word. In branch II there may be a onomatop ic element for the formation and the importance cf dimples, Rimple, rumple, wrimple.]
I. 1 A garment made of linen or silk formerly worn by women, then folded, cover the head, chin, sides of the face and neck get now in the garb of nuns. Even gene. a veil.
Used loosely, as in the early glossariesRepresentation of L. anabola, Cyclas peplum, ricinum.
A1100 Aldhelm Gloss. I. 4296 (Napier 112) Cyclades. I. üst, headscarf. A1100 Gloss. In Wr.-Wülcker 107/37 Ricinum, winpel uel orl. Ibid. 125 / 8 Anabola, winpel. C1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 163 o rent winpel wit it marks the mid ELEU Saffran. C1240 Ancre. R. 420 (Ms. C), the sum was wummon æt hit Limpe to cundeliche s forte was pennants. C1250 Meid. Maregrete xlvii, oru e center of Christian ih, wid it wempel ho bond out. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 6941Hire bodi wi a coat, a pennant [vr whympel] aboute heued rent. c1374 CHAUCER II Troylus Do a 110-woy oure wimpil & Schew oure face bare. c1386 Prol. 151 Ful semyly hir wympul pynched was. 14 .. Voc. In Wr.-Wülcker 601/43 Peplum, a wynpul. c1425 WYNTOUN Cron. IX. xxv. 2992 Hyre Hayre arayande in wompyll. c1440 Gesta Rom. LXIX. 317 The rent emperess hydde face with a wympill, for they wolde ben y-know. 1513 DOUGLAS Æneis I. vii. To ask 115, supple, with Thaims womple ane bair thai,With handis it betand breistis by the way. c1530 Crt. Love 1102 and eke the nuns with veil and emergency Vaile. 1560 Bible (Genev.) Isa. iii. 22 The costelie clothing and the Vail and the pennant and the crisping Pinner. 1805 SCOTT Last Minstr. V. xvii, White was her Whimple, and her veil. 1819 Ivanhoe xlii, her head scarf flowing black cypress. 1879 WALFORD Londoniana II 247 Three nuns with veil and Whimple.
transf. 1615 Crooke Body of Man 123 A certaine smooth and slippery Veyleor headscarf is substrated. 1861 A. AUSTIN in Temple Bar III. 472 graves are the protective caps from the rain Life.
2. A flag, streamer. [An alien mind.]
1656 BLOUNT Glossogr., Wimple .. a streamer or abuse.
II 3 A fold or wrinkle, a twist, winding, or twist, a wave or splashing in a stream.
1513 iv DOUGLAS Æneis II. 30 Bot thai about him lowpit orig in wympillis [. Spiris] threw. 1593 NASHE Christi T. 74b, Be not curious about it for a headscarf or a spot in your dress,you are the spotting and Thorowgood stayning your Deere purchased Spyrit.
1818 HOGG Brownie Bodsbeck XII. 225 I. A Shepherd .. hates the hood, as he calls them, with a turnpike. Ibid. xiv. II 22 He had left as a Mony 'hoods in his tail like an eel. In 1845 ELIZA COOK i Waters, Waters, Bright Waters, lulleth sleep .. My head scarf only to the minnow! 1878 STEVENSON Will o' Mill, Parson's Marg , The river ran between the stepping stones with a pretty scarf.
4. A clever twist or turn, a wile. Sc.
1638 SIR A. JOHNSTON Diary (SHS) 320 Despite al Wyles, hoods, offers, movements, and Letts Uther. 1755 R. FORBES Ajax Sp. 24 The Gouden Helm SAE will be look, a flash wi 'skyrin Brinn that' his hood to find the fan-i 'his trademark gloss levels. In 1818 SCOTT HRT. Midl. Xxiv, yes it is a headscarf in the clew of a lawyer.
Therefore headscarf-less Others do not wear a headscarf.
A1225 Ancre. R. 420, if the e muwen beon pennant-LEA, beo bi warm Kepper.
Ventail
[a.OF. ventaille,-Taile, Ventall (mod.F. ventail masc = OProv. ventalha, IT. ventaglia), f. vent wind, air. Hence also MHG. vin, finteile, vintale. A purely English variant is Aventail.
In the sense of "breathing spot" does not seem to be applicable to the earliest use of the word (see sense 1) in French and English, so the name was originally given the piece of armor from a real or fancied resemblance to some other subject, the so-called. Other senses of the OF. Word (andrelated forms ventele, and ventail Vental) are disciplines Vane () of a windmill, lock, shutter, leaf (of a folding door or picture). In the original version. Romances of ventaille is freq. As already mentioned for the heart or breast: cf. Chaucer's Clerk's Tale 1148th]
1. A piece of armor to protect the neck, fitted on which the helmet, a neck piece. Obs.
a1330 Roland & V. 863 His ventail he gan vn-lace & smot his place heued in E. 13 .. Guy Warw. Was (A.) 92 His helmet was said Michel mi t, newMan ouer-comen in fi t hadde it on his ventayle. a1400 Sir Perc. In 1722 he hym Hitt EVENE If the Nekker-bane, and thurgh Vental pesan. C1400 Laud Troy Bk manufacture 14,375 helmets were on their ventayles sperde. c1450 LOVELICH Grail XIV, 33 Helmes, hawberkes & ventaylles also, all that he has to go grownde dyde hem.
a1400 Sqr. Lowe Degre 222 Your basenette Bryght will be burnysshed your Ventall shalbe well dyght, With gold set to be rigid.
2. The lower movable part of the frontof a helmet, as opposed to the visor, latterly, the whole movable part including the visor.
C1400 Destr. Troy 7030 The Duke, with a DYNTEST Abderites hym agayne ago on viser & the ventaile voidet hym. C1400 Antur of Arth. xxxii, then he is auaylet vppe his viserne be Ventall ago. c1470 Gol. & Gaw. 867 He braidit vp his ventaill, The closit wes Clene. a1533 LD. BERNERS Huon cxxiv. 448 Vnder the ventayle their helmets terys Water ago fell downe his eyen. 1590 SPENSER FQ III. ii. 24With its bright ventayle .. His manly face .. lookt foorth. 1600 FAIRFAX Tasso VI. xxvi, he Ventall vp here so that he descride your handsome face, and her beauties pride. 1802 JAMES Milit. Dict., Ventail that part of the helmet which is made to lift. JK 1865 SIR JAMES Tasso XX. xii, Thro 'the barred ventayle shone his red features. [1869 Boutell Arms & Armor viii. 127 This piece called for mesail or mursail, .. but more generally known in England as ventaile or sighting,was stabbed in both eyes and respiratory system.] 1906, p. HEATH Effigies in Dorset 10 ~ a few times with a movable "ventaille" or visor.
b. One of the openings or air holes for it. Obs. 1
1470-85 MALORY Arthur X. lx. 516 The blood oute brast ventayls on his helmet.
3. Something as a sail or fan. Obs.
A1529 SKELTON Col. Clout 400 [the nuns] Must cast vp theyr Blacke Bayle, and set vp theyr Fucke Sayles, To catch Wynde with theirVental.
Schaller
Periods
[a. F. salade, ad. Sp celada or so. celata, believed to represent L. cael ta (sc. cassis or galea),) (helmet, decorated with engraving. Cf. MDU. salade, sallad, salla.
The L. adj. a program that was not found in this elliptical. Cf. "lorica galeæque Aeneae, caelata Corinthio opere" (Cicero).]
1. In the medieval armor, a light ball-shaped head covering, either with or without a visor and without cover, the lower part curving outwardsbehind.
c1440 Eng. Conq. Irel. iv. 11 (MS. Rawl.), Ham-Selfe wel with Haubergeon wepenyd and Bryght Salletis and sheldys. 1465 MARG. PASTON in P. Lett. II 189 Imprimis, a Peyr brygandyrs a Salet, a boresper [etc.]. 1480 CAXTON Chr. Tight. CCLV. (1482) 331 He toke syr vmfreys salade and his brigantyns .. and his spurs and GylT arayd hym lyke a lord. C1537 Thersytes 55, I wolde have a Schaller to be on my hed, whiche under my CHYN with a thong in red Buckeled. 1585 T.WASHINGTON tr Nikolai's Voy. IV XXVIII. 146b, on their heads [they] Sallet hadde made of leather. 1593 Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, IV, x. 9 Many a time, but for a Schaller, my Braine-pan had bene cleft with a brown bill. 1594 R. ASHLEY tr Loys le Roy 113b, The men who were armed heauily had a salad, their couered came downe and as far as her shoulders. A1600 Floddan F. ii. (1664) 12 Some of the shares may soon make a sallate save for his skull. 1786 GROSE Anc. Armor 11 The Salade, Salet,or Celat. Father Daniel defines a Salet as a kind of light helmet, without cover, sometimes with a visor, and sometimes without. 1824 MEYRICK Ant Armor III. Gloss., Salett, .. a light head piece sometimes worn by the cavalry, but generally by the infantry and archers. .. It was generally a steel cap very similar to the Morian. 1844 James II Agincourt. 109 BC He left his archers are on the tank and salads. 1888 Stevenson Black Arrow 4 Armed with sword and spear, aSteel Salet on his head, a leather jack upon his body.
b. jokingly referred to as a measure of wine.
1600 HEYWOOD 1st Pt. Edw. IV (1613) Cj, as a proclamation .. .. The bags are sold by the Sallet.
c. transf. Headpiece, head. Nonce-use.
1652 CB Stapylton Herodian 56 When Wine was got into his drunken Sallat.
2. Some kind of iron vessel. Obs.
1472-3 Rolls of Parlt. VI. 51 / 2 With Fyer brought theym thider in Salette. 1507-8 Acc. Ld High Treas. Scot.IV, 101 Units, for to mak ane sellat gwn powdir vijs. 1582 J. HESTER Secr. Phiorav. III. CXVI. Sette 141 in the same potte Sallette iron and lute them close together.
Therefore a. saletted, wearing a Schaller.
1455 Coventry Leet Bk (EETS) 282-Goode One hundred men with Bowes & ARow, Jakked saletted & ... 1461 J. PASTON in P. Lett. II 36 The peple was jakkyd and saletted and riottously be disposed of.
Armet
[a. F. armet, also in OF. armette, dim. ofpoor.]
Introduced a kind of helmet, around the middle of the 15th Century, the place of basinet. It consisted of a spherical iron cap, spreading with a large hollowed projection over the neck and protected by the visor, beaver and collar. (Boutell.)
Justes 1507 May & June 87 in Hazl. EPP II. 124 You cors not spared, nor to armyt Vambraces. 1577 Holinshed Chr. III. 853 / 1 Foure headpieces Armit mentioned. 1795 Jeanne d'Arc Southey Wks. IX. Suggested at 279his neck, had not fenced in the neck, for he awoke in a hurry to armet votes.
Burganet
Obs. exc. Hist.
Also burguenet (burgant) 6, 6-7 burgenet, 6-9 burganet, 9 bourginot,-goinette. [ad. OF. , bourguignotte App. f. Burgundy Burgundy.]
a. A very light helmet, hat or steel, for the use of infantry, especially mercenaries. b. A helmet with visor, so that the collar or neck-piece fitting that the head without the neck could be made.
[1598 BARRETTheor. Warren Gloss. 249 Burgonet, a word of French, is a certaine kind of head-Peece, either Foote or rider, couering his head, and a part of the face and Cheeke.]
1563-87 FOXE A. & M. (1596) 1083 / 1 page, I was with one foot ~ man, carying burganet after him and his accomplices. 1570-87 Holinshed Scot. Chronicles (1806) II 255 His burguenet beaten in the head. 1592 GREENE Upst. Court. WW. (Grosart) XI. With 235 resist Burgants to the contour of a Battleaxe. 1611 SPEED Hist. Gt. Brit. V. VIII (1632)407 On her head she wore all the blame Burgenets. 1796 Southey, Joan VII 296 A Massy Burgonet .. Helming his head. 1825 JH wiffen Tasso VII xc burganet the glittering veil, that the forehead. 1834 JR PLANCHE Brit. Costume 280 A balaclava and bourginot the same period. 1852 D. MOIR Tomb de Bruce v, rust hung in the hall of the target and Burgonet.
fig. 1606 Shakes. Ant & Cl. I. v. 24 [Antony] The demy Atlas of this earth, his arms and Burganet of men.
Morion
Armor.Now hist
[<Middle French Balaclava Helmet Light (1542) and its etymon Spanish Morrione (1605, 1570 in the form Murron), ex. <Morra crown of the head (perh. ult. <Romance of the same basis as MORAINE n. and the first element of MORFOUND v.). Cf. Italian morion (1559), Portuguese morrião (1619), both problems. from Spanish.
By the 16th cent. Form MORLION morlioen cf Dutch, MORLION (see Morillion n.).
With sense 2 CF. French Balaclava punishment of the soldiers (1605), so-calledsuspended in an allusion to the hat at the end of the shaft of the halberd, which has imposed a soldier during the punishment. In French, the word appears to have been in the military as a naval deployment and have a series of shocks denoted by a pikestaff or the butt of a musket.]
1. A kind of brimmed helmet like a hat, without a beaver or visor, mainly carried by foot soldiers in the 16th and 17 Century.
Certain varieties are sometimes different (especially by modernHistorian), the different forms, such as comb (including cockscomb) Balaclava, Spanish (also pear-shaped) Balaclava, etc.
1547 Inventory owned by Henry VIII in Archaeologia (1888) 51 272 Itm ix mliiijxx know Murrions. 1557 Act 4 & 5 Philip & Mary C. 2, § 2 One or Murrie Schaller, .. and Steele Cappe or Sculle. 1563, Lancs. Cheshire & Wills (1857) I. 141 A shirt from Mayle wth hed peace or Mürren thereunto belonging. 1590 Inventory Sir T. Ramsey in Archaeologia (1866) 40 331 ITM. xvij Spanishmorrians at 2s. 6d. per pece. ITM. x morrians come at 16d. 1592 C'TESS of Pembroke tr. R. Garnier Antonius iv. sig. N3, the VSEL Balaclava Crooke will hang on through the wall. C1600 Diurnal of occurrent (1833) 212 Ane greit number of hagbittis, corslattis and mirriounis, etc. with some togedder vyne []. C1600 Hist. Life & James VI (1804) 137 was in the .. shipp finds TWA hundrethe murreownes. 1601 P. HOLLAND tr Pliny Hist. World I. 480 The people of Thrace .. do .. Ivie garnished with the heads of theirLance, .. mourrons and also their targuets. 1622 F. MARKHAM Five Decades Epist. by Warre I. IX. § 3 34 A Spanish Morian .. bound downe lined eare-plates vnderneath his Chinne. 1688 R. HOLME Acad. Armory (1905) III. XIX. 166 / 1 The Italians call such caps, a Morion, and we of them a Murrian. 1700 DRYDEN Chaucer, Palamon and Arcite III, poured into 65 Fables ground steel that looking to the side, and Crested Balaclava with their plumy Pride. 1808 SCOTT Marmion I. ix, The soldiers of the guardWith muskets, pikes and balaclava. 1834 Gentleman's mag. Headgear 96 158 The fighters "are in a different form, one has a rim like a balaclava, and much resembles a modern hat. 1889" M. TWAIN is the Connecticut Yankee ii. 38 On the walls stood men-at-arms, the chest armor and helmet, with halberds for their only weapon. 1907 Q. Rev. Januar 83 It referred to one of the school of poetry in which helmets Balaclava . In 1984 G. JENNINGS Journey 370 for a crown he wore a simple gold helmetHelmet.
2. A kind of punishment is used on the sea. Obs. rare.
1626 J. SMITH accident Young Sea-Men 4 shows Marshall to .. Justices executed in accordance with the instructions how .. Setting in the Bilbow and bears Cobty or Morryoune.
Cabasset
Obs. rare.
[Fri, Dim of cabas basket, panier, etc.]
A kind of small helmet.
1622 Peacham Compl. Gentle. III. (1634) 150 Keyes, Locke, buckles, or cabassets Morian, helmets and the like. 1874 Boutell Arms & Arm.ix. 162.
Cointise
arch.
[a ME. (= BF.) Form of QUAINTISE, 'painterly device, ingenious ornament, "appropriated a special sense by modern writers on ancient costume, historical novelists, etc. Some Dicts. An incorrect form (cointoise.)]
An elegant or fanciful dress, symbolical or ornamental clothes, esp. the trailer cloth worn on the head women's clothes, and also appear on the tournament helmets of knights, as a "courtesy". See QUAINTISE.
1834 JRPLANCHE Brit. 93 The latter is as a costume or Quintis cointise, a name given to an especially designed dress or tunic of the day. Ibid. 94 The scarf worn thereafter by the crest of the helmet was called cointise. 1843 JAMES Forest days (1847) 181 The beautiful scarves, called cointises, then recently introduced.
