oreillette

English

Etymology

From French oreillette. Compare Middle English horete. Also compare Spanish orejera (“ear armor”), using a different suffix.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔɹ.eɪ(l)ˈjɛt/

Noun

oreillette (plural oreillettes)

1. (historical) A flap or plate covering the ear in medieval armor helmets and civilian clothing.
   • 1850, The Royal Companion to the "Sights of London" and Within Twenty-five Miles of St. Paul's: Containing a Mass of Valuable Information, Useful, Entertaining, and Instructive, Especially to Visitors to "The Great Metropolis.", page 14:

     The head is covered with a helmet, with oreillettes, and a pierced vizor; upon which are the arms of England, and the King's initials, “J. R.”

   • 1863, William Young Ottley, An inquiry concerning the invention of printing, also notices of the early use of wood-engraving, etc, page 334:

     The third attendant, who bears the king's square banner, whereon is emblazoned his harp, has a visor'd helmet, with the mentoniere and circular oreillettes, and the neck-covering, or hausse-col, of plate; […]

   • 1863, South Kensington Museum, Catalogue of the Special Exhibition of Works of Art of the Mediæval, Renaissance, and More Recent Periods: On Loan at the South Kensington Museum, June 1862, page 365:

     Iron helmet, with oreillettes ornamented with repoussé arabesques crested with a sort of sheaf ornament; in front is a dolphin mask. This beautiful helmet is doubtless the work of Paolo di Negroli, a famous Milanese armourer ...

   • 1896, Frederick William Fairholt, Costume in England: Glossary, page 13:

     The helmet is also furnished with two oreillettes, attached by hinges, and will meet over the chin ...

   • 1898, Archaeologia Aeliana: Or, Miscellaneous Tracts Relating to Antiquities, page 242:

     It is in fact a conical cap, with a laminated neckpiece and oreillettes. This helmet was designed to meet a defect in the armet, for there was a weak place, where the casque came in contact with the body armour.

French

oreillettes (4)

Etymology

From oreille (“ear”) +‎ -ette.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔ.ʁɛ.jɛt/ ~ /ɔ.ʁe.jɛt/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

oreillette f (plural oreillettes)

1. earphone (transducer, earpiece or headphone)
2. (anatomy) auricle (part of the heart)
3. (botany) asarabacca, European wild ginger (Asarum europaeum)
4. (cooking) beignet, fritter
5. (historical) an oreillette (ear-covering on a medieval helmet, civilian hood, etc)
   • 1859, L'Apiculteur, page 157:

     Ce camail est en toile métallique bombée, et ressemble beaucoup pour la forme au masque du tireur d’armes. Il est simple, ou avec oreillettes, ou encore avec oreillettes et rebord postérieur comme en ont certains casques.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1873, Rene comte de Belleval, La panoplie du XVe au XVIIIe siecle, page 5:

     […] spécial à l’infanterie dans le principe, mais adopté par les cavaliers à la fin du XVI° siècle, en y ajoutant une visière articulée dite bavière ou garde-face, qui s’attachait aux deux oreillettes par des crochets, ou simplement  […]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Further reading

• oreillette on the French Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^fr
• oreillette (cuisine) on the French Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^fr
• “oreillette”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.