a. Her. Obs. Also 6 staynand, 7 staynant, 7, 9 stainant. [app. a pres. pple. of STAIN v. (either northern ME. or repr. OF. desteignant).] An epithet of certain colors.
The precise sense and correct application are very doubtful, most of the successive writers having apparently copied from their predecessors with little understanding. The Book of St. Albans (quot. 1486 s.v. STAINING ppl. a.) seems to use ‘steining colowre’ for any tincture (whether ‘color’ or ‘metal’) that presents a uniform tint in contradistinction to spots, etc.; according to this authority the ‘steining’ colors are the only ones that may appear on the shield of a gentleman. On the other hand, according to Legh (1562), ‘staynande’ colors are those which mny not be used in armory; tawny or tenné, being the ‘surest’ of all the mixed colors, is the only one of them that is not ‘staynande’; we may perhaps hence infer that Legh took the adj. to mean ‘fugitive’ (cf. STAIN v. 2), or rather ‘indeterminate.’ Guillim (1610), says that some heralds disallow the use of tawny and murrey (or sanguine) for fields, regarding them as ‘staynande’ (Ferne in 1586 speaks of these two as ‘stains,’ not colors), but it is not clear how he interpreted the adj. The later notion that staynand means ‘disgraceful,’ designating tinctures that are used for the purpose of ‘abatement,’ appears to be entirely unfounded.
1562. Legh, Armory, 19. Tawney,… blazed by thys woorde, Tenne. It is a worshipfull colour…. But very fewe Englishe men beare the same. Yet it is armorye, and so are all coloures, that are not staynandes. Ibid., 19 b. Tenne … is the surest colour … beeyng componed. For it is made of two bryghte coloures, whiche is Redde, and Yellowe. And ye shall not haue any colour so made emongest all yt may be deuysed, and not to be staynande.
1610. Guillim, Heraldry, I. iii. 11. [Copies Legh and continues thus:—] The last of the seuen mixed colours, we doe commonly call Murrey, but in Blazon, Sanguine, and is (as most truly saith Leigh) a Princely Colour, being indeed one of the colors appertaining of ancient time to the Prince of Wales…. Some Heralds of approued iudgement doe hardly admit these two last mentioned for Colours of Fields, in regard they are reckoned Staynand Colours.
1658. Phillips, Stainand-colours, in Heraldry are tawney and murrey.
1673. A. Walker, Leez Lachrymans, 25. Though a rough Herald would have found blots enough in Abner’s Scutcheon, and a rude Pencil would have painted it with staynant Colours, or a Scotch Coal.
1689. Smithurst, Britain’s Glory, 167. Tenne, Orange Colour; a Colour Stainant.
1845. Lower, Curios. Heraldry, 313. The stainant or disgraceful colours, tenné and sanguine.
