ermine

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈɜːmɪn/ (UK); /ˈɝmɪn/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English ermin,^[2] borrowed from Old French ermine, hermine,^[2][3][4][5] also Anglo-French hermin.^[6] Its source is disputed.^[4] One view derives it from Medieval Latin (mūs) Armenius “Armenian (mouse)”, the animal being abundant in Asia Minor.^{[2][3][4][5][7]} Another links it to a Germanic word for “weasel”, seen in Old High German harmo and Old English hearma.^{[2][3][4][6][5]} The Romance and Germanic words were probably confused early because of their similar form and meaning.^[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The animal, a northern weasel called a stoat in England, whose fur turns white in winter (before 1200 in the OED; probably about 1175 in Barnhart).^[8][3][4][5]

Semantic evolution

The word also named the animal's fur from the 13th century (1297).^[8][3][5] Its white winter fur, often with the black tail tips set into it at regular intervals, was used to line official and ceremonial robes, in England especially those of judges and peers.^[4][8][9] Hence the ermine came to stand figuratively for judicial office and dignity (1794).^[8][4] In heraldry ermine is a fur shown as white with black spots (1562).^[8][1]

Timeline

• before 1200 – the animal.^[8][3]
• 1297 – its fur.^[8]
• 1474 – ermines, ermine trimmings.^[8]
• 1562 – heraldic fur.^[8]
• 1794 – figuratively, the office of a judge.^[8]
• 1825 – verb, to clothe in ermine.^[8]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A weasel, Mustela erminea, of northern regions, whose brown coat turns white in winter except for the black tip of the tail; a stoat.
2. The white winter fur of this animal, used especially for trimming the robes of judges and peers.
3. The rank or office of a judge or noble entitled to wear ermine.
4. (heraldry) A tincture representing this fur, white with black spots.

Word family

• ermined

Related words

• stoat
• weasel
• Armenian

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c d e f g Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
4. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d e Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
7. ^ Hendrickson, Robert (2008), The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins, 4th ed., New York: Facts on File
8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
9. ^ Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House