grapper

English

Etymology

Related to grapple.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡɹæpəɹ/
• Rhymes: -æpə(ɹ)

Noun

grapper (plural grappers)

1. A metal ring or leather strap on the base of a lance behind the grip, designed to stop the lance from moving backward by catching on the lance rest or on the lancer's chest and arm when the lance was tucked into the armpit.

   Synonym: grate

   • 1997, Professor Department of History Sydney Anglo, Sydney Anglo, Spectacle, Pageantry, and Early Tudor Policy, Oxford University Press on Demand

     Likewise , if the jouster's spear were tied with 'thonge' or 'grappers', he should be ejected ignominiously.

   • 2010, Noel Fallows, Jousting in Medieval and Renaissance Iberia, Boydell Press, →ISBN, page 119:

     [Grappers] were first introduced in the early fourteenth century and became standard after the introduction of the lance-rest in the late 1300s. A description of the grapper as it was configured in 1446 is provided in an anonymous French manuscript as follows: Item, the said grappers are intentionally full of sharp little spikes like little diamonds, similar in size to little ...

   • 2014, Karl Edward Wagner, Dark Crusade, Gateway, →ISBN:

     Nor was the danger entirely at the point of the lance. An inexpert lancer, because the grapper transmitted much of the shock to the feltlined lance arrest secured to the right side of his breastplate, might be flung from saddle […]

   • 2015, Deborah Chester, Time Trap, Diversion Books, →ISBN:

     It's got a lance rest to fit the grapper to. It makes the whole breastplate take the shock, and not just his arm. You brace the end against your side; that'll give you firmer balance, see?” Noel nodded, and Tobin sprang away.

   • 2020, Alan V. Murray, Karen Watts, The Medieval Tournament as Spectacle: Tourneys, Jousts and Pas D'armes, 1100-1600, Boydell & Brewer, →ISBN, page 80:

     But do not joust (to break) fifty or sixty or one hundred lances as you are accustomed to do. To avoid such unpleasantries as severe injuries […] The grapper or (in its earlier name) grate was affixed to the lance behind the grip.

2. (obsolete) A grappling hook or grappling iron.
   • 1625, John Glanvill, Voyage to Cadis, page 61:

     We fastned grappers in her, and soe towed her a head.

   • 1676, Henry More, Remarks upon two late ingenious Discourses, page 145:

     Without the help of vellicles, hooks, or grappers.

   • 1905 (quoting an older work?), Essentials in Medieval and Modern History, page 230:

     Then began a sore battle on both parts: archers and cross-bows began to shoot, and men of arms approached and fought hand to hand, and the better to come together they had great hooks and grappers of iron to cast out of one ship into another, and so tied them fast together.

   • 1910 (quoting an older work?), Voyages and Travels, Ancient and Modern, page 161:

     […] we sailed in towards the city, and let fall our grappers [grappling irons] betwixt the island and the Main, right over against the goodly Garden Island.

Translations

ring on a lance

• French: arrêt de lance (fr) m

Middle French

Verb

grapper

1. to pick grapes

Conjugation

• Middle French conjugation varies from one text to another. Hence, the following conjugation should be considered as typical, not as exhaustive.

Conjugation of grapper

infinitive	simple	grapper
	compound	avoir + past participle
present participle1 or gerund2	simple	grappant
	compound	present participle or gerund of avoir + past participle
past participle		grappé
		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ie (i’)	tu	il, elle	nous	vous	ilz, elles
(simple tenses)	present	grappe	grappes	grappe	grappons	grappez	grappent
	imperfect	grappois, grappoys	grappois, grappoys	grappoit, grappoyt	grappions, grappyons	grappiez, grappyez	grappoient, grappoyent
	past historic	grappa	grappas	grappa	grappasmes	grappastes	grapperent
	future	grapperai, grapperay	grapperas	grappera	grapperons	grapperez	grapperont
	conditional	grapperois, grapperoys	grapperois, grapperoys	grapperoit, grapperoyt	grapperions, grapperyons	grapperiez, grapperyez	grapperoient, grapperoyent
(compound tenses)	present perfect	present indicative of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
	past anterior	past historic of avoir + past participle
	future perfect	future of avoir + past participle
	conditional perfect	conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive		que ie (i’)	que tu	qu’il, qu’elle	que nous	que vous	qu’ilz, qu’elles
(simple tenses)	present	grappe	grappes	grappe	grappons	grappez	grappent
	imperfect	grappasse	grappasses	grappast	grappassions	grappassiez	grappassent
(compound tenses)	past	present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative		–	tu	–	nous	vous	–
simple		—	grappe	—	grappons	grappez	—
compound		—	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	—	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	—
1 The present participle was variable in gender and number until the 17th century (Anne Sancier-Château [1995], Une esthétique nouvelle: Honoré d'Urfé, correcteur de l'Astrée, p. 179). The French Academy would eventually declare it not to be declined in 1679.
2 The gerund was held to be invariable by grammarians of the early 17th century, and was usable with preposition en, as in Modern French, although the preposition was not mandatory (Anne Sancier-Château [1995], op. cit., p. 180).

Old French

Verb

grapper

1. Alternative form of graper

Conjugation

This verb conjugates as a first-group verb ending in -er. The forms that would normally end in *-pp, *-pps, *-ppt are modified to p, s, t. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.

    Conjugation of grapper (see also Appendix:Old French verbs)

		simple			compound
infinitive		grapper			avoir grappé
gerund		en grappant			gerund of avoir + past participle
present participle		grappant
past participle		grappé
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		jo	tu	il	nos	vos	il
simple tenses	present	grap	grappes	grappe	grappons	grappez	grappent
	imperfect	grappoie, grappeie, grappoe, grappeve	grappoies, grappeies, grappoes, grappeves	grappoit, grappeit, grappot, grappeve	grappiiens, grappiens	grappiiez, grappiez	grappoient, grappeient, grappoent, grappevent
	preterite	grappai	grappas	grappa	grappames	grappastes	grapperent
	future	grapperai	grapperas	grappera	grapperons	grapperoiz, grappereiz, grapperez	grapperont
	conditional	grapperoie, grappereie	grapperoies, grappereies	grapperoit, grappereit	grapperiiens, grapperiens	grapperiiez, grapperiez	grapperoient, grappereient
compound tenses	present perfect	present tense of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect tense of avoir + past participle
	past anterior	preterite tense of avoir + past participle
	future perfect	future tense of avoir + past participle
	conditional perfect	conditional tense of avoir + past participle
subjunctive		que jo	que tu	qu’il	que nos	que vos	qu’il
simple tenses	present	grap	gras	grat	grappons	grappez	grappent
	imperfect	grappasse	grappasses	grappast	grappissons, grappissiens	grappissoiz, grappissez, grappissiez	grappassent
compound tenses	past	present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative		–	tu	–	nos	vos	–
		—	grappe	—	grappons	grappez	—