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esplaier (1184)
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The form esplier is a cross reference to the following entry:

esplaier (1184)

Cite this entry
espleer,  espleier,  esplier;  ezplayer  
  FEW:  plicare 9,71a Gdf: ∅ GdfC:  esployé 9,546b TL: ∅ DEAF: ∅ DMF:  esployer  TLF: ∅ OED: ∅ MED: ∅ DMLBS:  explicare 859b

v.trans.

1to unfold, open out: 
( 1184; MS: s.xiiiex )  Ore le (=the silken cloth in Thomas’s mother’s dream) espliez; Tut cest purpris [...] Pot l’em covrir  S Thom beneit1 (B) 55
2to display: 
( 1395-96 )  en acrochant a lui roial poiar, fist (=Robert de Vere) esplaier le baner du roi en sa compaignie  Rot Parl1 iii 236
( a.1399; MS: a.1399 )  les comunes de Kent [...] esplayerount deux baners de seint George et lx penouns  Anon Chr1 139.3
3to deploy, make use of: 
( 1305 )  prient al roy [...] qe yl vousisent assigner akun prodomme e leal qe porroyt ordeyner e parfere un autel mur de autre part de la ryver e de le murage (=tax levied for building or repairing town walls) de meme la vile qe yl unt eu e levé ces set auns e qe est en nul leu ezplayé  Rot Parl1 i 477

v.intrans.

to fare: 
( 1280-1307; MS: s.xiv1/4 )  a lur encontrer espleirent malement, Car pris sont tuit [...]  LANGTOFT thiol2 326.1108

p.p. as a.

unfolded, spread open (?): 
( 1397 )  un lit vert [...] ové un blu pale de chamelet embroudez ovesque un pot d’or ové .i. lilie esplaiez ové pluseurs flours d’argent de Cipreun lit vert [...] ové un blu pale de chamelet embroudez ovesque un pot d’or ové .i. lilie esplaiez ové pluseurs flours d’argent de Cipre  Gloucester Inventory 290

See also:

applier  emploier  plier 
This is an AND2 Phase 1 (A-E) entry © 2000-2006 The Anglo-Norman Dictionary. On-line entry partially revised after the print version of AND2 went to press (2007-03-22) The printed edition of AND2 A-E is published by Taylor & Francis for the MHRA, sole owners of the print-media publication rights. All other rights reserved. Digitisation funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council of the United Kingdom.
esplier