An archaic or obsolete term referring to a smooth, shiny surface or a gloss; also used in early textual scholarship.
From Middle English 'glose,' derived from Old Norse 'gloss' meaning 'light' or 'gleam.' The word evolved through Old French and Latin to refer to shine or luster, and later to explanatory notes in manuscripts.
Medieval scholars used 'glos' to mean both the shine on parchment AND the explanatory notes they'd write—because clarifying text was seen as polishing it, making it 'shine' with understanding for readers.
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