▪ I. † haire Obs.
Forms: α. 1 hǽre, hére, 2–3 hære, 3–4 here, 3–6 heare, 4–6 heer(e. β. 3 haiȝre, 3–7 haire (4 heiȝre, 4–5 heyre, 4–6 hayr(e, heire, 5 hayr, heyeer, 5–6 hayer, 6 heyer). γ. 4–5 hare.
[Of this word there were two ME. types, both however going back to WGer. *hârjâ deriv. of hăr hair: the first directly through OE., WS. hǽre, Angl. hére wk. fem., which regularly became in ME. hêre, heare, heere, and, with mutescence of final e, heer; the second, ME. haire, through OF. haire, med.L. haira:—OFrankish *hârja (OHG. hârra); the form from French survived longest, but is now obs. or merged in hair n. (sense 7). The ME. variant hare evidently arose from assimilation to the corresponding Norse form of hair.]
Cloth made of hair, haircloth; esp. a hair shirt worn next the skin by ascetics and penitents; extended later to any kind of coarse or harsh fabric, as sackcloth or the like.
| α c 825 Vesp. Psalter xxxiv. 13 Ic ᵹeᵹerede mec mid heran. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xi. 21 Hi dydun dæd-bote on hæran [c 1160 Hatton G. on hæren] and on axan. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 139 Stiue here to shurte. c 1205 Lay. 19707 Iscrudde mid heren. a 1225 Ancr. R. 126 Iudit..ledde swuðe herd lif..& werede heare. 1340 Ayenb. 227 Hy hire ssredde mid þe here. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) V. 109 Marcellus deide y-cloþede in heer. 1430–40 Lydg. Bochas ix. ix. (1554) 201 b, Sharpe heares wer also layde asyde. 1529 More Dyaloge i. Wks. 116/1 [He] fasted, watched, praied & ware heare. 1535 Coverdale 2 Kings i. 8 He had a rough heer vpon him. |
| β c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 1977 His cloðes rent, in haiȝre srid. a 1300 Cursor M. 22510 Þe sun..it sal becum..dune and blak sum ani hair [v.rr. haire, hayre]. c 1350 Will. Palerne 4778 Hastili þei hent hem on heiȝresse ful rowe. c 1386 Chaucer Sec. Nun's Prol. & T. 133 She..Hadde next hire flessh yclad hire in an haire [v.rr. heyre, heire]. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 221/2 Hayyr, or hayre, cilicium. 1530 Palsgr. 228/2 Hayre for parfite men, hayre. 1553 in Willis & Clark Cambridge (1886) I. 221, iiij yerdes of heire for thalter at viijd the yerde. 1600–1 Ibid. II. 482 Helpinge to carrie home y⊇ haires y{supt} were vsed by the Painters ijs. [See also hair n. 7.] |
| γ 13.. Cursor M. 29090 In askes and in hare [? orig. haire] and weping and vneses lair [? orig. laire]. c 1450 Nom. in Wr.-Wülcker 725/25 Hoc cilicium, a hare. |
▪ II. haire obs. form of
air n.1| c 1340 Cursor M. 19846 (Fairf.) Foure listis lange Vn-to þe haire þer-wiþ hit [a cloth] hange. |