Daily entries from the 17th century London diary
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A woollen cloth. “Saye clothe serge.” — Palsgrave.
… Serge (from ancient French saie which derives from the … for tie-making characterized
by a cloth armor and … and good elasticity, similar to the serge but smoother …
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Say
(Say), v. t. To try; to assay. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
Say
(Say), n. [OE. saie, F. saie, fr. L. saga, equiv. to sagum, sagus, a coarse woolen mantle; cf. Gr. sa`gos. See Sagum.]
1. A kind of silk or satin. [Obs.]
Thou say, thou serge, nay, thou buckram lord!
Shak.
2. A delicate kind of serge, or woolen cloth. [Obs.]
His garment neither was of silk nor say.
Spenser
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Northern French and Flemish serges(sagie, sagie, saie) were exported 12th century.
other spellings saye saie
to say another meaning altogether.