Encyclopedia > Motley

  Article Content

Motley

Motley refers to the traditional costume of the Court jester or the Harlequin character in Commedia dell'arte. The latter wears a patchwork of red, green, and blue diamonds that is still a fashion motif.

The word motley is thought by the Oxford English Dictionary to be cognate with medley, although the unrelated mottled has also contributed to the meaning. The word is most commonly used as an adjective or noun, but is also seen as a verb and adverb.



All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License

 
  Search Encyclopedia

Search over one million articles, find something about almost anything!
 
 
  
  Featured Article
Wheatley Heights, New York

... 2000 census, the town had a total population of 5,013. Geography Wheatley Heights is located at 40°45'43" North, 73°22'1" West (40.761998, ...

 
 
 
This page was created in 35.5 ms