jan 1, 1567 - counterfeit

Description:

The OED says of its use as a noun that it was something spurious, a forgery but in Yorkshire the earliest examples suggest that it was a kind of wash-basin. 1433 <i>et unam pelvim vocatam counterfete cum lotorio</i>, York (SS30/49); 1486 <i>a counterfete basyn with a lavour of laton</i>, Hull (SS53/17). It was commonly used of pewter items: 1546 <i>all my pewther vessel ... chardgers, dublers ... salte sellers, and Counterfottes</i>, Wakefield (Th19/164); 1567 <i>Item two garnishe of vessell in either 12 Dowblers 12 dishes 12 sawcers one great charger 8 podyngers 16 counterfettes ... five saltes, </i>Fixby (YRS134/15).<i></br></i>counterpoint A bed cover, often richly decorated. These were quilted items and the first element in the word shares the origin of quilt: 1524 <i>oon cowntter poynte of tapestre warke</i>, Bordley (SS79/186); <i>c.</i>1537 <i>Item ij large covers or counter poyntes lined with canvas, and of Aras warke, one of them wrougth with som sylke, and parte with gold wyer,</i> Halifax (YRS45/188); 1544 <i>ij coverlettes, one counterpointe</i>, Clint (SS104/45). The change to counterpane is evident in the 1600s, no doubt influenced by the word ‘cover-pane’, a covering cloth, dealt with separately.

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