miniver

miniver

English

WOTD – 24 October 2011

Alternative forms

• meniver, menyvere

Etymology

from Old French menu vair (“squirrel, squirrel fur”), from menu (“small”) + vair (“a type of fur”)[1].

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈmɪnɪvə/

  • Audio (UK)

    (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈmɪnɪvɚ/

Noun

miniver (countable and uncountable, plural minivers)

1. A light gray or white fur used to trim the robes of judges or state executives, also used in medieval times.
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “j”, in Le Morte Darthur, book XII:

     Thenne came forth a lykely knyghte and wel apparaylled in scarlet furred with myneuer / And anone as he sawe syr launcelot / he demed that he shold be oute of his wytte / And thenne he said with fayre speche good man leye doune that swerd / for as me semeth / thow haddest more nede of slepe and of warme clothes / than to welde that swerd / As for that said syr Launcelot come not to nyȝ for and thow doo wete thou wel I will slee the

     (please add an English translation of this quote)

Translations

a light gray or white fur

Bulgarian: хермелин m (hermelin) Finnish: kärpännahka French: menu-vair (fr) m German: Feh (de) n Russian: мех горностая (mex gornostaja) Spanish: armiño (es)

References

1. Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881) (menu, volume 5, page 245, column 3)

• miniver in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913