“Chain mail” or “mail”?

Defensive garments composed of interlinking rings should correctly be referred to as “mail” or “mail armor”. The common term “chain mail” is in fact a modern pleonasm (a lingual mistake meaning “the use of more words than are necessary to express an idea”: in this instance, both “chain” and “mail” refer to an object made of interlinking rings). In short, the term “chain mail” is saying the same thing twice. 

Dirk H. Breiding
Department of Arms and Armor, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

72 Notes/ Hide

  1. mydailylifeinpictureform reblogged this from mediumaevum and added:
    It’s like people who say “chai tea” ;p Chai means tea “Tea tea”
  2. trollception reblogged this from mediumaevum
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  5. stay-foolish reblogged this from mediumaevum and added:
    Dirk H. Breiding Department of Arms and Armor, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  6. persephone977 reblogged this from mediumaevum
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  10. xenopheles said: What about ‘maille’?
  11. herosheart-with-a-peasantschance reblogged this from mediumaevum
  12. amateurhuman reblogged this from mediumaevum
  13. themightylexicon reblogged this from mediumaevum
  14. transitorystory said: thanks!
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  17. baklavaismyfavoriteword reblogged this from mediumaevum

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