Obs. Forms: 6 clary-, clericord(e, clare-, 6–9 claricord, 9 Hist. clarichord. [A perverted form of CLAVICHORD. Littré has claricorde also as Fr., but without citation; Cotgr. has it only as the Eng. of clavessin. Whether the corruption was phonetic or graphic (r for v) does not appear: the erroneous form was probably associated with L. clarus, clear.]
= CLAVICHORD, q.v.
1502. [see CLARICYMBAL].
1503. in Leland, Collect. (1770), App. iii. 284. The kyng began before hyr to play of the clarychordes … and upon the said clarychorde Sir Edward Stanley played a ballade and sang therewith.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., XVI. xii. Rebeckes, clarycordes, eche in theyr degre.
1514. Test. Ebor. (Surtees), V. 49. My best clarycordis.
1547. Salesbury, Welsh Dict., Organ danneu, a payre of clericordes.
1598. Florio, Monocordo, an instrument hauing manie strings of one sound, which with little peeces of cloth make distinct sounds, called claricords.
1751. Chambers, Cycl., Claricord, or Manicord, a musical instrument in form of a spinett. It has 49 or 50 keys and 70 strings, which bear on five bridges.
[1823. trans. Sismondi’s Lit. Eur. (1846), I. v. 128. The Jongleur … able to handle the claricord and guitar.
1879. A. J. Hipkins, in Grove, Dict. Mus., I. 366/2. During the Tudor period, frequent mention is found in contemporary records of the clavichord, clarichord, and monochord…; all three names seeming to be shared by one instrument, and that most probably the true clavichord.]
b. attrib.
1577. Harrison, England, III. xi. [Iron] of such toughnesse, that it yieldeth to the making of claricord wire.
¶ Corrupted forms of this were Claricall (clericall), Claricoes, Claricorn; also CLARIGOL(D.
1598–1611. Florio, Grauicembalo, a musicall instrument, like our claricoes.
1599. T. M[oufet], Silkwormes, 73. A musicke strange of new found Claricalls.
1611. Cotgr., Clavessins, claricords or claricols.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 158. A Soft Body dampeth the Sound, much more than a Hard … And therefore in Clericalls, the Keyes are lined.
1692. Coles, Claricorn, Cler-, an instrument somewhat like a cymbal.
So 1724. in Cocker.
