"jewels" as "family jewels" (genitals) in 1450?

[Laurence Horn]

At 8:24 PM -0500 3/2/09, Joel S. Berson wrote:
>Perhaps someone having Brandl can cf. page 414, and make public the
>context of the privytes.
>
>>From the OED's Bibliography:
>Brandl, Alois.
>Quellen des weltlichen Dramas in England vor Shakespeare (Pride of
>life, Mankind, Nature; J. Heywood's Love, Wether, Merry play;
>Respublica, King Darius; Misogonus; Horestes, Gismond of Salern;
>Common conditions) 1898.
>
>And separately, "Mankind" seems to be in LION.
>
>At 3/2/2009 06:02 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>>It certainly seems that way; but it might be a mistake to assume a general
>>continuity of usage since the Middle Ages.
>>
>>Of the word, I mean.
>
>You mean something as slangy, masculine, and clever as this metaphor
>died out?  Hard to believe.  :-)
>
>Joel

Works in French and German/Yiddish too (bijoux [de famille],
schmuck).  No doubt one of those pre-PIE metaphors.

LH

>
>
>>JL
>>
>>On Mon, Mar 2, 2009 at 5:18 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
>>
>>>  ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>>  -----------------------
>>>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>>  Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
>>>  Subject:      "jewels" as "family jewels" (genitals) in 1450?
>>>
>>>
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>>  Under "jewel, n.", sense "3. fig. Applied to a thing or person of
>>>  great worth, or highly prized; a 'treasure', 'gem'", the OED (1989)
>>>  has the following quotation:
>>>
>>>  a1450 Mankind (Brandl) 426 {Ygh}e xall not choppe my Iewellys [---my
>>>  privyte (cf. 414)] and I may.
>>>
>>>  Noting "my privyte", is this an early -- perhaps the earliest? -- use
>>>  of "jewels" to mean "male genitals"?
>>>
>>>  (The OED does not have this sense under "jewel".)
>>>
>>>  Joel
>>>
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>>
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