[Artemisia] Smalls vs. ???

[machay at xmission.com]

I had to laugh when I read this discussion. I am always impressed by  
the depth of knowledge and compulsion to identify period correct  
usages our members have. We all have way too much time on our hands!  
;-D Luveday

Quoting Stephanae Baker <stephanae at countryrhoades.net>:

> Also, you might find this article on the topic interesting:
> http://slumberland.org/sca/articles/smalls.html
>
>
> On Aug 8, 2007, at 10:28 PM, Elaine wrote:
>
>> Greetings, everyone!
>> Morgan, or anyone,
>> Can someone please cite me a reference where "smalls" is used in
>> period to
>> mean EITHER "underwear" in the sense of "clothing worn under other
>> clothing," or "people under the age of majority?"
>>
>> The Oxford English Dictionary Online does not cite "smalls" in
>> either of
>> those forms at all. "Small" was used as an adjective in period to mean
>> "narrow." The earliest reference in the OED is a noun from the
>> Anglo-Saxon
>> gloss in the Book of Lindisfarne and means, according to the OED,
>> "A smack
>> or blow; an onset, shock."
>>
>> "Smalls" meaning ostensibly "underwear" may be a back-formation (in
>> the folk
>> process) from "smallclothes," which means "Breeches; knee-
>> breeches," in the
>> sense of _outerwear or street clothes_ with the OED's first
>> reference being
>> in 1796, when breeches were fashionable.
>>
>> I await refutation.
>> Wordily yours,
>> Caryn
>
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