mantele

mantēle (mantīle), is, n., and mantēlĭum (mantīlĭum), ii, n. [manus and tela, properly a cloth for the hand], a towel, napkin.

• I Lit.: mantelium, ubi manus terguntur, Varr. L. L. 6, § 85 Müll.: tonsisque ferunt mantelia villis, Verg. A. 1, 702 (v. l. mantilia); id. G. 4, 377; Plin. 7, 2, 2, § 12.—
• II Transf., a table-cloth (post-class.): mantelia nunc pro operiendis mensis sunt: quae, ut nomen ipsum indicat, olim tergendis manibus praebebantur, Isid. Orig. 19, 266; in form mantile, Treb. Poll. Gall. 16, 3.

mantēle (mantīle), is, n. u. mantēlium, iī, n. (aus *mantergsle, manus u. tergeo), I) ein zottiges (zuw. auch glatt geschorenes, s. Verg. Aen. 1, 702) leinenes Tuch, das eigentlich zum Händewaschen nach Tische usw., manchmal auch bei Tische als Serviette vor die Brust genommen gebraucht wurde, das Handtuch (vom Gastgeber gereicht, während die mappa, die eigentliche Serviette, von den Gästen mitgebracht wurde), Verg., Plin. u.a. – mantelium b. Varro LL. 6, 85. – II) übtr., zur Kaiserzeit = das Tischtuch, Treb. Poll. Gallien . 16. § 3; vgl. Isid. orig. 19, 26, 6.

mantele, ~elum [CL], ~ile [LL] 1 hand towel, napkin. postula eum ut reddat nobis panem ‥ et mel ‥ et piscem ‥ et holera et piperata fercula ‥ et unum ~ele Ælf. Bata 4. 23; sit tibi mantile mundum tersumque sedile [gl.: ~ile, nape, a manu et teneo] Garl. Mor. Scol. 189; gausape, mensale, mappas, manutergia dicas, / addas mancile manibus quod tale vocatum Id. Syn. 1586C; hoc ~ile, tuale Gl. AN Glasg. f. 20va; 1425 in stipendio Katerine Colyns facientis mantalia coquine hoc anno xx d. Ambrosden II 256; hoc ~ile, a towylle WW. 2 table cloth, altar cloth. aedituum ante altare componendis ~ilibus intentum W. Malm. Mir. Mariae 202; intravit ‥ Lucas capellam ‥ altarique nudato ~ili ‥ juxta regem ‥ ait Map NC II 7 f. 25v; 1220 sex ~ilia benedicta (Invent. Eccl. S. Andree) Reg. S. Osm. I 275; que eciam ridello vel albo ~ili aut panno serico tecta erunt usque ad vesperas Cust. Cant. 111. 3 mantle, cloak. lanea villosi sprevit velamina pepli / linea brumosis sumens mantilia flabris Aldh. CE 4. 7. 12; hoc ~ile, a mantelle WW.

mantēlĕ (14) (-tīlĕ), is, n. , Varro L. 6, 85 et mantēlĭum, ĭī, n. , essuie-mains, serviette : Virg. G. 4, 377 ; Plin. 7, 12 || nappe : Isid. Orig. 19, 26, 6.

mantēle (-tīle) is, n

• manus+TEC-, a towel, napkin: tonsis mantelia villis, with clipped nap, V., O.

MANTELE

MANTE´LEin the imperial times, was a table-cloth, but originally, as its etymology shows, was a towel or napkin used by priests at sacrifices (Serv. ad Aen. 1.701; Ovid. Fast. 4.933) and by guests at a banquet. It is natural that the antique use of the word should be found in accounts of sacrifices, and in Virgil (Georg. 4.377; Aen. 1.701), where we find the woollen mantele, with soft and even nap (tonsis mantelia villis), used to wipe the hands when water was poured over them before the feast [see MAPPA]: so Isidore, Or. 19, 26, 6, says, Mantelia nunc pro operiendis mensis sunt, quae, ut nomen ipsum indicat, olim tergendis manibus praebebantur. For the newer fashion of using a table-cloth (mantele), see Martial (Mart. 12.29, 12; 14.138-Z2. After Hadrian's time it was the custom to use table-cloths of costly material and embroidery (Lamprid. Heliog. 27; Alex. Sev. 37). We may gather from Horace (Sat. 2.8, 10) that no table-cloth was used in his time, and no doubt the fashion of giving extravagant prices for dining-tables of a beautiful grain arose at a time when the table was fully shown. In fact, there is no mention of the covering of the table earlier than the passage cited from Martial, and, when this custom arose, the name of the larger or sacrificial napkin was adopted for the table-cloth (see Marquardt, Privatleben, 312).

[W.S] [G.E.M]

Mantēlé

(1) A towel or napkin used by the Roman priests in their sacrificial rites (Ovid, Fast. iv. 933).

(2) In imperial times a table-cloth (Mart.xii. 29. 12). In this sense it is not employed earlier than the time of Martial, and in an earlier age the table was not covered, the grain of the wood being an object of admiration. See mappa.