Almain

See also: almain

English

Alternative forms

• Almayne (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English Alemaine, Almayne, from Anglo-Norman Allemaine, Almaine et al., Old French Alemaigne, from Late Latin Alamannia (“territory of the Alamanni tribe”), from Alemannī, Allemannī, of Germanic origin probably corresponding to all + men. Compare Alemannic.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈæl.meɪn/

Proper noun

Almain

1. (now historical) Germany. [from 13th c.]
   • c. 1541, The Chronicle of Calais, London, published 1846:

     The x. of Awgust Maximilian emperowr of Almayne came to kynge Henry of England besyde Terwen, and there the emperowre had wages of the kynge.

   • 1994, Marianne Constable, The Law of the Other, page 162:

     The merchants who owned the goods claimed that the King of Almain was the lord of the town, and the Bishop could not do justice in the matter.

Noun

Almain (plural Almains)

1. (now archaic, literary, poetic) A German. [from 14th c.]
   • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragœdy of Othello, the Moore of Venice. […] (First Quarto), London: […] N[icholas] O[kes] for Thomas Walkley, […], published 1622, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii], page 31:

     Caſ[ſio]. Is your Engliſh man ſo expert in his drinking? / Iag[o]. Why he drinkes you with facillity, your Dane dead drunke: he ſweats not to ouerthrow your Almaine; he giues your Hollander a vomit, ere the next pottle can be fild.

2. A kind of dance. See allemande. [from 16th c.]

Adjective

Almain (comparative more Almain, superlative most Almain)

1. (now archaic, historical) German. [from 15th c.]
   • 1589–1592 (date written), Ch[ristopher] Marl[owe], The Tragicall History of D. Faustus. […], London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for Thomas Bushell, published 1604, →OCLC, signature [A4], recto:

     Fauſtus theſe bookes thy wit and our experience / Shall make all nations to canonize vs, / As Indian Mooꝛes obey their Spaniſh Loꝛds, / So ſhall the ſubiects of euery element / Be alwaies ſeruiceable to vs thꝛée, / Like Lyons ſhall they guard vs when we pleaſe, / Like Almaine Rutters with their hoꝛſemens ſtaues, / Oꝛ Lapland Gyants trotting by our ſides, / Sometimes like women, oꝛ vnwedded maides, / Shadowing moꝛe beautie in their ayrie bꝛowes, / Then in their white bꝛeaſts of the queene of Loue: […]

Related terms

• almain rivet

Anagrams

• Alamin, Animal, Malian, Manila, Milana, al-Amin, aminal, animal, lamina, maalin, manila