palfrey
(ˈpɔːlfrɪ, ˈpæl-)
Forms: 2–4 palefrai, 3 -frei, -fray, 3–4 -frey, 4 palfre, 4–6 -frei, 4–7 -fray, 4– palfrey, (5 palfroy(e, 5–7 -freie, -freye, -fraie, -fraye, 6 paulfrey, pawlfre, 7 palfery, palefroy, palphrie, -frie, -fry, 8 -phry).
[ME. a. OF. palefrei, in 11th c. palefreid (later palefroy, -froi:—late L. palafrēd-us, by dissimilation from parafrēdus, -vrēdus (in Capit. Charlemagne):—late L. paraverēdus (6th c.), f. Gr. παρά beside, extra + verēdus light horse, post-horse. Cognate Romanic forms are Pr. palafre, -frei, Sp. † palafré, palafren, Pg. palafrem, It. palafreno; in med.L. also parefredus, -fridus, palafridus, palefredus, -fridus, palfredus, pala-, palefrenus: see Du Cange. The forms in -frenus, -freno, -fren (whence palfrenier), show popular association with L. frēnum, It. freno bridle, rein.
Parafrēdus also passed into German: OLG. parafrid, parevrit; MLG. pęrid, LG. perd, MDu. paert, Du. paard; OHG. pfarifrid, pfęrfrit; MHG. pfęrit; Ger. pferd; the ordinary word for ‘horse’.]
A saddle-horse for ordinary riding as distinguished from a war-horse; esp. a small saddle-horse for ladies. (Now Hist., or in romantic or poetic lang.)
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 5 He mihte ridan..on riche stede and palefrai. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 89 Noðer stede ne palefrei, ne fair mule. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 11184 Many fair palfray & stede. c 1386 Chaucer Prol. 207 His palfrey was as broun as is a berye. c 1450 Merlin xvi. 260 Thei lefte theire palfreyes and lepe upon stedes covered in maile. 1470–85 Malory Arthur ii. vi, A damoysel that came ryde ful fast..on a fayr palfroy. a 1547 Hen. VIII in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. i. II. 32 Some faire white, or white gray palfreies, or geldings. 1556 Withals Dict. (1568) 16 a/1 A pawlfre, cantherius candidus. 1614 Chapman Maske Inns of Crt. 2 Dwarfe Palfries, with yellow foot-cloathes. 1719 D'Urfey Pills (1872) IV. 10 A Palphry proud, prick'd up with Pride, Went prancing on the way. 1803 Southey Queen Orraca iv. vii, Upon her palfrey she is set, And forward then they go. 1813 Scott Trierm. ii. xiv, A maiden on a palfrey white. 1856 R. A. Vaughan Mystics (1860) I. 9 The fair damosels of the olden time on their palfreys. 1859 Tennyson Geraint & Enid 126 [He] shook his drowsy squire awake and cried, ‘My charger and her palfrey’. |
b. attrib. and Comb., as palfrey-man, palfrey-mare, palfrey-money, palfrey-page.
| 1297 Placita coram Rege m. 39 (1897) 263 Ricardus le Palfreyman. 1360–1 Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees) 562 Perot palfraypage Prioris. a 1500 Mankind (Brandl 1896) 240 And ȝe were þe kynges palfrey mare. 1502 Will Ep. Cicest. (Somerset Ho.), Soluendum post decessum meas domino Regi debitas pro le palfray money. 1530 Palsgr. 251/1 Palfrayman, palefronier. |
Hence, ˈpalfreyed a. [-ed2], provided with or riding on a palfrey.
| 1713 Tickell On Prospect of Peace Poems (1790) 159 The bard, that tells Of palfrey'd dames, bold knights, and magic spells. |