Forms: 6 calamance, 6–9 cali- 7 calla-, 7–9 callimanco, (9 calamanca), 7– calamanco. [Found also in Du. kalamink, kalmink, Ger. kalmank, kalmang, F. calmande, Genev. calamandre: of unknown origin.
The form has naturally suggested connection with med.L. camelaucus, a kind of cap, and a cloth of camel’s hair; but evidence of connection is wanting. See Du Cange.]
1. A woollen stuff of Flanders, glossy on the surface, and woven with a satin twill and chequered in the warp, so that the checks are seen on one side only; much used in the 18th c.
1592. Lyly, Midas [see 2].
1598. Florio, Tesserino … a kinde of fine stuffe like … calimanco.
1693. Lond. Gaz., No. 2832/3. His Wastcoat of a Striped Calamanco.
1760. Sterne, Tr. Shandy (1802), VII. xvii. 32. A tawny yellow jerkin, turned up with red calamanco!
1848. Thackeray, Bk. Snobs, iv. The body … trimmed with calimanco.
b. attrib.
1605. Lond. Prodigal, I. i. 223. What breeches wore I o’ Saturday? Let me see: o’ Tuesday my calamanco … o’ Thursday, my velure; o’ Friday my calamanco again.
1639. Ford, Lady’s Tr., II. i. Diamond-button’d callamanco hose.
1710. Steele, Tatler, No. 96, ¶ 5. A Red Coat, flung open to show a gay Calamanco Wastcoat.
1812. H. & J. Smith, Rej. Addr. (1852), 41. A pair of black calamanco breeches.
1840. Wheeler, Westmoreland Dial., Gloss., A calliminky petticoat.
c. ellipt. Garments of this material.
1859. Thackeray, Virgin., xxxii. The girls went off straightway to get their best calamancoes, paduasoys … capes, [etc.].
U. S. Newspr. The seat of his striped calimancoes.
2. fig. Applied to: a. language; b. a person.
1592. Lyly, Midas, IV. iii. Doest thou not understand their [huntsmen’s] language? Min. Not I! Pet. Tis the best calamance in the world, as easily deciphered as the characters in a nutmeg.
1607. Dekker & Webster, Sir T. Wyat (1612), E 2. A Spaniard is a Camocho, a Calimanco, nay which is worse, a Dondego.
3. Applied to wood and plaster buildings.
1792. Misc. Ess., in Ann. Reg., 150/2. The mansion … was of plaister striped with timber, not unaptly called callimanco work.
1822. W. Irving, Braceb. Hall (1855), 267. Calimanco houses as they are called by antiquaries.
