Spain
(speɪn)
Forms: α. 3–7 Spaine, Spayne, 4 Spaigne, 5 Speyne, 6 Espayne, 6– Spain; 5–6 Sc. Spane. β. Sc. 5 Spanȝhe, 5–6 Spanȝe, 6 -ȝie, Spaneȝe, Spangyie, 9 Spainyie; 5–6 Spenȝe, 6 -ȝee, -ȝie, Speinȝie, 9 Spengyie.
[ad. AF. Espayne, Espaigne (mod.F. Espagne, = Sp. España, Pg. Hespanha, It. Spagna):—late L. Spānia (Gr. σπανία) for earlier Hispānia (Ispānia).
The usual form in OE. is Ispania, but in the dat. plur. the aphetic forms Spenum and Spaneum occur. The dropping of the initial vowel of OF. Espaigne is in accordance with English usage: cf. MDu. Spaengen, -gien (Du. Spanje), MHG. Spanje, Spangen- (G. Spanien), ON. Spánn (and Spánland). The later Sc. forms show the usual change of nȝ into ngy or ng.]
1. The country which together with Portugal occupies the south-western peninsula of Europe.
| α c 1205 Lay. 1394 Heo ferden from Spaine riht toward Brutaine. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 3915 Þer nas bituene Þis & spayne no prince..Þat nas at þis rounde table. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 1482 Whan þeyr fflote..Turnede fro þe lond of Spaigne. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) I. 299 But þere beeþ tweye Spaynes; þe hyder..Þe ȝonder Spayne. 1436 Libel Eng. Policy 99 The wolle of Spayne hit cometh not to preffe, But if it be..menged welle Amonges Englysshe wolle. 1486 Bk. St. Albans, Hawking b vi b, Take Oyle of spayne and tempere it with clere wyne. 1501 Douglas Pal. Hon. ii. xxxv, Now in the realme of Trace, and now in Spane. 1547 Boorde Introd. Knowl. xxx. (1870) 198 Spayne is a very poore countrey. 1550 J. Coke Eng. & Fr. Heralds §208 Commodities of Espayne and not of Fraunce. 1605 Camden Rem. (1623) 2 Asia serueth thee with silke and purple,..Spaine with Gold, and Germanie with Siluer. 1706 Stevens Sp. & Eng. Dict. Pref., The long continuance of the Moors in Spain. 1838 Prescott Ferd. & Isabella i. ii. (1854) I. 93 The combined forces of France and Spain. |
| β 1375 Barbour Bruce iii. 688 The.. strait off Marrok in-to Spanȝe. c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. iii. ix. 1050 Wiþe-in þe kynrik of Spanȝhe hail. 1561 Reg. Privy Council Scot. I. 177 All writtin in the language of Spangyie. |
b. New Spain, the region including Mexico and Central America. Now Hist.
| 1719 W. Wood Surv. Trade 281 The Assiento Contract has excluded..Great Britain from Trading to New Spain. 1777 Robertson Hist. Amer. iii. (1851) I. 231 Grijalva..called it New Spain, the name which still distinguishes this extensive and opulent province of the Spanish empire in America. 1843 Prescott Mexico vii ii. (1850) III. 215 Vera Cruz..has remained ever since the great commercial capital of New Spain. a 1845 Encycl. Metrop. XIII. 716/2 Of these disturbances, that of New Spain seemed to threaten the worst consequences. |
c. the Spains, Spain in Europe and New Spain in America.
| 1847 De Quincey Sp. Mil. Nun Wks. 1862 III. 64 The King of the Spains and the Indies. |
d. fig. A quantity such as Spain can produce.
| 1866 Howells Venetian Life xvii. 256 Whole Hollands of cabbage, and Spains of onions. |
2. attrib. in Sc. use: = Spanish a.
Also ellipt. Spainyie, Spengyie, Spanish cane.
| 1494 Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot. I. 250 A wall of Spenȝe erne. 1502 Ibid. II. 270 For vj waw of Spanȝe irne to the werk in Halyrudhous. a 1520 Dunbar Poems lv. 30 Quhill that thai gatt the Spanȝie pockis. 1546 Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot. IX. 42 Tua ellis and ane half Spanȝe freis. 1550 Ibid. 399 Thre fyne Spanȝe skynnis. 1565 in Hay Fleming Reform. Scotl. (1910) 611 Twa breistis of Spenȝee cattis and twa mantillingis of Spenȝie cattis. a 1585 Montgomerie Flyting 314 The feavers, the fearcie, with the speinȝie flees. 1825 Jamieson Suppl., Spainyie Flees,..cantharides. |