What is an “asse” in Elizabethan English?
.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__bot-mid-leaderboard:empty{ margin-bottom:0;
}
In the "New Yer's Guiftes giuen to The Quene's Maiestie" we find
two handkerchives of Hollande, wroughte with blacke worke, and edged with a smale bone lace of golde and siluer; and an asse of golde enamuled.
I can imagine a piece of jewelry shaped as a donkey but this seems rather odd. The other kind of ass is not very much suitable as a royal gift, even when of golde enamuled. Is there some other meaning? I cannot find any.
Edit: this can be found in The Progresses and Public Processions of Queen Elizabeth
elizabethan-english
asked 15 hours ago
n.m.n.m.
35626
add a comment |
In the "New Yer's Guiftes giuen to The Quene's Maiestie" we find
two handkerchives of Hollande, wroughte with blacke worke, and edged with a smale bone lace of golde and siluer; and an asse of golde enamuled.
I can imagine a piece of jewelry shaped as a donkey but this seems rather odd. The other kind of ass is not very much suitable as a royal gift, even when of golde enamuled. Is there some other meaning? I cannot find any.
Edit: this can be found in The Progresses and Public Processions of Queen Elizabeth
elizabethan-english
asked 15 hours ago
n.m.n.m.
35626
It's a Roman coin.
– Nigel J
1 hour ago
add a comment |
In the "New Yer's Guiftes giuen to The Quene's Maiestie" we find
two handkerchives of Hollande, wroughte with blacke worke, and edged with a smale bone lace of golde and siluer; and an asse of golde enamuled.
I can imagine a piece of jewelry shaped as a donkey but this seems rather odd. The other kind of ass is not very much suitable as a royal gift, even when of golde enamuled. Is there some other meaning? I cannot find any.
Edit: this can be found in The Progresses and Public Processions of Queen Elizabeth
elizabethan-english
asked 15 hours ago
n.m.n.m.
35626
In the "New Yer's Guiftes giuen to The Quene's Maiestie" we find
two handkerchives of Hollande, wroughte with blacke worke, and edged with a smale bone lace of golde and siluer; and an asse of golde enamuled.
I can imagine a piece of jewelry shaped as a donkey but this seems rather odd. The other kind of ass is not very much suitable as a royal gift, even when of golde enamuled. Is there some other meaning? I cannot find any.
Edit: this can be found in The Progresses and Public Processions of Queen Elizabeth
elizabethan-english
elizabethan-english
asked 15 hours ago
n.m.n.m.
35626
asked 15 hours ago
n.m.n.m.
35626
edited 11 hours ago
n.m.
asked 15 hours ago
n.m.n.m.
35626
asked 15 hours ago
n.m.n.m.
35626
asked 15 hours ago
n.m.n.m.
35626
35626
It's a Roman coin.
– Nigel J
1 hour ago
add a comment |
It's a Roman coin.
– Nigel J
1 hour ago
It's a Roman coin.
– Nigel J
1 hour ago
It's a Roman coin.
– Nigel J
1 hour ago
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
Although I can't vouch for that particular gift, the concept of a Golden Ass is ancient and would be well-known to any educated person in England at the time. The Metamorphoses of Apuleius, commonly known as The Golden Ass, is notable as the only surviving Roman novel.
The Ass of the title is the character Lucius, who is transformed into a donkey and undergoes a series of misadventures involving the gods.
answered 15 hours ago
Mark BeadlesMark Beadles
21.1k36093
1
I'm not an educated person but I happen to know about The Golden Ass too :) A piece of jewelry could be made to remind of Lucius, nothing wrong with that, but why isn't the gift listed as a pendant, or a brooch, or whatever it is?
– n.m.
15 hours ago
6
@n.m. Where does it say it's a piece of wearable jewelry? It could just as well be a figurine, statuette, tchotchke, etc.
– Mark Beadles
15 hours ago
Um, I'm not sure Elizabethan English had the word tchotchke :) But whatever kind of thing it was I think it is strange for a list like this to omit the kind and just mention the shape.
– n.m.
11 hours ago
3
It would be normal for such a list to say "a ship of gold" rather than "a gold model of a ship". Since the word "donkey" either did not exist at the time or was too childish/colloquial for the OED to find any example before 1785, your phrase would be the normal description for a golden sculpture. Why somebody thought such a thing a suitable present for the Queen would be an interesting question for History.SE.
– TimLymington
7 hours ago
add a comment |
An asse of gold, or an as of gold is a Roman coin.
The plural is 'asses' which seems to make some people use the singular 'asse' when
it should be 'as'. But in English that is confused with our normal 'as'. So
asse is commonly the singular and asses the plural.
There are also bronze asses as well as gold asses.
answered 1 hour ago
Nigel JNigel J
17.6k94588
The Roman coin "as" was commonly made from copper, sometimes from bronze. The "aureus" was the common Roman gold coin. In thirty years of reading about Roman history, I have not once come across an "as" as a coin made from gold.
– njuffa
1 hour ago
add a comment |
Your Answer
StackExchange.ready(function() {
var channelOptions = {
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "97"
};
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);
StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
createEditor();
});
}
else {
createEditor();
}
});
function createEditor() {
StackExchange.prepareEditor({
heartbeatType: 'answer',
autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
convertImagesToLinks: false,
noModals: true,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: null,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
imageUploader: {
brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
allowUrls: true
},
noCode: true, onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
});
}
});
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fenglish.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f494496%2fwhat-is-an-asse-in-elizabethan-english%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
Although I can't vouch for that particular gift, the concept of a Golden Ass is ancient and would be well-known to any educated person in England at the time. The Metamorphoses of Apuleius, commonly known as The Golden Ass, is notable as the only surviving Roman novel.
The Ass of the title is the character Lucius, who is transformed into a donkey and undergoes a series of misadventures involving the gods.
answered 15 hours ago
Mark BeadlesMark Beadles
21.1k36093
1
I'm not an educated person but I happen to know about The Golden Ass too :) A piece of jewelry could be made to remind of Lucius, nothing wrong with that, but why isn't the gift listed as a pendant, or a brooch, or whatever it is?
– n.m.
15 hours ago
6
@n.m. Where does it say it's a piece of wearable jewelry? It could just as well be a figurine, statuette, tchotchke, etc.
– Mark Beadles
15 hours ago
Um, I'm not sure Elizabethan English had the word tchotchke :) But whatever kind of thing it was I think it is strange for a list like this to omit the kind and just mention the shape.
– n.m.
11 hours ago
3
It would be normal for such a list to say "a ship of gold" rather than "a gold model of a ship". Since the word "donkey" either did not exist at the time or was too childish/colloquial for the OED to find any example before 1785, your phrase would be the normal description for a golden sculpture. Why somebody thought such a thing a suitable present for the Queen would be an interesting question for History.SE.
– TimLymington
7 hours ago
add a comment |
Although I can't vouch for that particular gift, the concept of a Golden Ass is ancient and would be well-known to any educated person in England at the time. The Metamorphoses of Apuleius, commonly known as The Golden Ass, is notable as the only surviving Roman novel.
The Ass of the title is the character Lucius, who is transformed into a donkey and undergoes a series of misadventures involving the gods.
answered 15 hours ago
Mark BeadlesMark Beadles
21.1k36093
1
I'm not an educated person but I happen to know about The Golden Ass too :) A piece of jewelry could be made to remind of Lucius, nothing wrong with that, but why isn't the gift listed as a pendant, or a brooch, or whatever it is?
– n.m.
15 hours ago
6
@n.m. Where does it say it's a piece of wearable jewelry? It could just as well be a figurine, statuette, tchotchke, etc.
– Mark Beadles
15 hours ago
Um, I'm not sure Elizabethan English had the word tchotchke :) But whatever kind of thing it was I think it is strange for a list like this to omit the kind and just mention the shape.
– n.m.
11 hours ago
3
It would be normal for such a list to say "a ship of gold" rather than "a gold model of a ship". Since the word "donkey" either did not exist at the time or was too childish/colloquial for the OED to find any example before 1785, your phrase would be the normal description for a golden sculpture. Why somebody thought such a thing a suitable present for the Queen would be an interesting question for History.SE.
– TimLymington
7 hours ago
add a comment |
Although I can't vouch for that particular gift, the concept of a Golden Ass is ancient and would be well-known to any educated person in England at the time. The Metamorphoses of Apuleius, commonly known as The Golden Ass, is notable as the only surviving Roman novel.
The Ass of the title is the character Lucius, who is transformed into a donkey and undergoes a series of misadventures involving the gods.
answered 15 hours ago
Mark BeadlesMark Beadles
21.1k36093
Although I can't vouch for that particular gift, the concept of a Golden Ass is ancient and would be well-known to any educated person in England at the time. The Metamorphoses of Apuleius, commonly known as The Golden Ass, is notable as the only surviving Roman novel.
The Ass of the title is the character Lucius, who is transformed into a donkey and undergoes a series of misadventures involving the gods.
answered 15 hours ago
Mark BeadlesMark Beadles
21.1k36093
answered 15 hours ago
Mark BeadlesMark Beadles
21.1k36093
answered 15 hours ago
Mark BeadlesMark Beadles
21.1k36093
answered 15 hours ago
Mark BeadlesMark Beadles
21.1k36093
21.1k36093
1
I'm not an educated person but I happen to know about The Golden Ass too :) A piece of jewelry could be made to remind of Lucius, nothing wrong with that, but why isn't the gift listed as a pendant, or a brooch, or whatever it is?
– n.m.
15 hours ago
6
@n.m. Where does it say it's a piece of wearable jewelry? It could just as well be a figurine, statuette, tchotchke, etc.
– Mark Beadles
15 hours ago
Um, I'm not sure Elizabethan English had the word tchotchke :) But whatever kind of thing it was I think it is strange for a list like this to omit the kind and just mention the shape.
– n.m.
11 hours ago
3
It would be normal for such a list to say "a ship of gold" rather than "a gold model of a ship". Since the word "donkey" either did not exist at the time or was too childish/colloquial for the OED to find any example before 1785, your phrase would be the normal description for a golden sculpture. Why somebody thought such a thing a suitable present for the Queen would be an interesting question for History.SE.
– TimLymington
7 hours ago
add a comment |
1
I'm not an educated person but I happen to know about The Golden Ass too :) A piece of jewelry could be made to remind of Lucius, nothing wrong with that, but why isn't the gift listed as a pendant, or a brooch, or whatever it is?
– n.m.
15 hours ago
6
@n.m. Where does it say it's a piece of wearable jewelry? It could just as well be a figurine, statuette, tchotchke, etc.
– Mark Beadles
15 hours ago
Um, I'm not sure Elizabethan English had the word tchotchke :) But whatever kind of thing it was I think it is strange for a list like this to omit the kind and just mention the shape.
– n.m.
11 hours ago
3
It would be normal for such a list to say "a ship of gold" rather than "a gold model of a ship". Since the word "donkey" either did not exist at the time or was too childish/colloquial for the OED to find any example before 1785, your phrase would be the normal description for a golden sculpture. Why somebody thought such a thing a suitable present for the Queen would be an interesting question for History.SE.
– TimLymington
7 hours ago
1
1
I'm not an educated person but I happen to know about The Golden Ass too :) A piece of jewelry could be made to remind of Lucius, nothing wrong with that, but why isn't the gift listed as a pendant, or a brooch, or whatever it is?
– n.m.
15 hours ago
I'm not an educated person but I happen to know about The Golden Ass too :) A piece of jewelry could be made to remind of Lucius, nothing wrong with that, but why isn't the gift listed as a pendant, or a brooch, or whatever it is?
– n.m.
15 hours ago
6
6
@n.m. Where does it say it's a piece of wearable jewelry? It could just as well be a figurine, statuette, tchotchke, etc.
– Mark Beadles
15 hours ago
@n.m. Where does it say it's a piece of wearable jewelry? It could just as well be a figurine, statuette, tchotchke, etc.
– Mark Beadles
15 hours ago
Um, I'm not sure Elizabethan English had the word tchotchke :) But whatever kind of thing it was I think it is strange for a list like this to omit the kind and just mention the shape.
– n.m.
11 hours ago
Um, I'm not sure Elizabethan English had the word tchotchke :) But whatever kind of thing it was I think it is strange for a list like this to omit the kind and just mention the shape.
– n.m.
11 hours ago
3
3
It would be normal for such a list to say "a ship of gold" rather than "a gold model of a ship". Since the word "donkey" either did not exist at the time or was too childish/colloquial for the OED to find any example before 1785, your phrase would be the normal description for a golden sculpture. Why somebody thought such a thing a suitable present for the Queen would be an interesting question for History.SE.
– TimLymington
7 hours ago
It would be normal for such a list to say "a ship of gold" rather than "a gold model of a ship". Since the word "donkey" either did not exist at the time or was too childish/colloquial for the OED to find any example before 1785, your phrase would be the normal description for a golden sculpture. Why somebody thought such a thing a suitable present for the Queen would be an interesting question for History.SE.
– TimLymington
7 hours ago
add a comment |
An asse of gold, or an as of gold is a Roman coin.
The plural is 'asses' which seems to make some people use the singular 'asse' when
it should be 'as'. But in English that is confused with our normal 'as'. So
asse is commonly the singular and asses the plural.
There are also bronze asses as well as gold asses.
answered 1 hour ago
Nigel JNigel J
17.6k94588
The Roman coin "as" was commonly made from copper, sometimes from bronze. The "aureus" was the common Roman gold coin. In thirty years of reading about Roman history, I have not once come across an "as" as a coin made from gold.
– njuffa
1 hour ago
add a comment |
An asse of gold, or an as of gold is a Roman coin.
The plural is 'asses' which seems to make some people use the singular 'asse' when
it should be 'as'. But in English that is confused with our normal 'as'. So
asse is commonly the singular and asses the plural.
There are also bronze asses as well as gold asses.
answered 1 hour ago
Nigel JNigel J
17.6k94588
The Roman coin "as" was commonly made from copper, sometimes from bronze. The "aureus" was the common Roman gold coin. In thirty years of reading about Roman history, I have not once come across an "as" as a coin made from gold.
– njuffa
1 hour ago
add a comment |
An asse of gold, or an as of gold is a Roman coin.
The plural is 'asses' which seems to make some people use the singular 'asse' when
it should be 'as'. But in English that is confused with our normal 'as'. So
asse is commonly the singular and asses the plural.
There are also bronze asses as well as gold asses.
answered 1 hour ago
Nigel JNigel J
17.6k94588
An asse of gold, or an as of gold is a Roman coin.
The plural is 'asses' which seems to make some people use the singular 'asse' when
it should be 'as'. But in English that is confused with our normal 'as'. So
asse is commonly the singular and asses the plural.
There are also bronze asses as well as gold asses.
answered 1 hour ago
Nigel JNigel J
17.6k94588
answered 1 hour ago
Nigel JNigel J
17.6k94588
answered 1 hour ago
Nigel JNigel J
17.6k94588
answered 1 hour ago
Nigel JNigel J
17.6k94588
17.6k94588
The Roman coin "as" was commonly made from copper, sometimes from bronze. The "aureus" was the common Roman gold coin. In thirty years of reading about Roman history, I have not once come across an "as" as a coin made from gold.
– njuffa
1 hour ago
add a comment |
The Roman coin "as" was commonly made from copper, sometimes from bronze. The "aureus" was the common Roman gold coin. In thirty years of reading about Roman history, I have not once come across an "as" as a coin made from gold.
– njuffa
1 hour ago
The Roman coin "as" was commonly made from copper, sometimes from bronze. The "aureus" was the common Roman gold coin. In thirty years of reading about Roman history, I have not once come across an "as" as a coin made from gold.
– njuffa
1 hour ago
The Roman coin "as" was commonly made from copper, sometimes from bronze. The "aureus" was the common Roman gold coin. In thirty years of reading about Roman history, I have not once come across an "as" as a coin made from gold.
– njuffa
1 hour ago
add a comment |
Thanks for contributing an answer to English Language & Usage Stack Exchange!
- Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!
But avoid …
- Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.
- Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fenglish.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f494496%2fwhat-is-an-asse-in-elizabethan-english%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
It's a Roman coin.
– Nigel J
1 hour ago