champaine

English

Or, a point champaine tenné.

Alternative forms

• champain, champion, champagne

Etymology

French champagne (“base of a coat of arms”).

Adjective

champaine

1. (heraldry) Curved (concave), enarched, or sometimes varriated; especially in the phrase point champaine, an abatement consisting of a curved (or sometimes horizontal) stain the bottom of the shield.
   • 1894, Henry Gough, James Parker, A Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry, page 99:

     Purpure, a bend champaine argent—ARCHBY.
     Argent, a pale champaine vert—BOWMAN.
     Bendy of six champaine purple and argent—BOWBRIDGE.
     Gyronny of four champaine or, enarched argent and gules—BRAUNECK.

Noun

champaine

1. (heraldry) Alternative form of champagne (“(ordinary occupying) the base of the shield”)
   • 1892, John Woodward, George Burnett, A Treatise on Heraldry, British and Foreign: With English and French Glossaries, page 489:

     3. Two rows of Vair, on a champagne gules an open crown or (both 2 and 3 for CRONBERG).

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:champaine.

Further reading

• 1845, Edward Smedley, Hugh James Rose, Henry John Rose, Encyclopædia Metropolitana, page 600:

  […] if one side of the ordinary be curved inward, it is called invex, concave, or champain; when outward, chapourned, or convex.

• 1846, William Newton, Display of Heraldry, page 392:

  The point champain debases the escutcheon, by a portion of the arms being stained out in a curved line, at the lower part or foot of the [shield].

• James A. H. Murray et al., editors (1884–1928), “Champaine”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC.:

  †Champain. Obs. Also 6 -ine, -ian. [cf. F. champagne field, 'the lower third of the shield' (Littré).]
  1. Her. A broken or deflected line, sometimes on only one side of an ordinary; it is sometimes vairé, sometimes curved or enarched. 1562, Leigh, Armorie (1579), page 71 b: He beareth a point champine, Or, in a fielde Tenne. Who so killeth his prisoner (to him humbly yeelding) with his owne hand rebateth his honor. Ibid. 79: He beareth party per bend Champain, Argent and Geules. Anything set in triangle on this cote, honoureth the same, to a great increase of commendation. 1661, Morgan, Sph. Gentry II vii. 78: The point Champain was deservedly due to Simeon and Levi, brethren in iniquity, for in their wrath they killed their prisoners. 1688, R. Holme, Armoury I, iii § 83: He beareth Argent a Pale Champaine, or enarched on the Dexter side, Vert. 1708, Kersey: A Point Champain (in Heraldry) is a Mark of Dishonour in the Coat of one that kills a Prisoner of War, after he has cry'd Quarter.
  2. Arch. 'Champain Line, in ornamental carved work formed of excavations, is the line parallel to the continuous line, either ascending or descending' (Gwilt).