In Edward Phillips's The New World of English Words, first published in 1658, the term morisco was referenced as both "a Moor" and "the Morris dance, as it were the Moorish dance", while John Bullokar defined it in 1695 as "a certain dance used among the Moors whence our Morris dance". The modern spelling Morris-dance first appears in the 17th century. Comparable terms in other languages include German Moriskentanz (also from the 15th century), French morisques, Croatian moreška, and moresco, moresca or morisca in Italy and Spain. The term entered English via Flemish mooriske danse. The name is first recorded in English in the mid-15th century as Morisk dance, moreys daunce, morisse daunce, i.e. Cecil Sharp, whose collecting of Morris dances preserved many from extinction, suggested that it might have arisen from the dancers' blacking their faces as part of the necessary ritual disguise. The word Morris apparently derived from "morisco", meaning " Moorish". It was imported from village festivities into popular entertainment after the invention of the court masque by Henry VIII. Throughout its history, the Morris seems to have been common. There are relatively isolated groups in other countries, for example those in Utrecht and Helmond, Netherlands the Arctic Morris Group of Helsinki, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden as well as in Cyprus and St Petersburg, Russia. English expatriates form a large part of the Morris tradition in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Hong Kong. There are around 150 Morris sides (or teams) in the United States. Three prominent groups organise and support Morris in England: Morris Ring, Morris Federation and Open Morris all three organisations have members from other countries as well. While the earliest records of "Morys" invariably mention it in a court setting, and it appears a little later in the Lord Mayors' Processions in London, by the mid 17th century it had assumed the nature of a folk dance performed in the parishes. Further mentions of Morris dancing occur in the late 16th century, and there are also early records such as bishops' "Visitation Articles" mentioning sword dancing, guising and other dancing activities, as well as mumming plays. The earliest known and surviving English written mention of Morris dance is dated to 1448 and records the payment of seven shillings to Morris dancers by the Goldsmiths' Company in London. Sticks, swords, handkerchiefs, and a variety of other implements may be wielded by the dancers. A band or single musician, also costumed, will accompany them. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers in costume, usually wearing bell pads on their shins and/or shoes. Morris dancing is a form of English folk dance. Morris dancers with handkerchiefs in York For the former jazz record store in New Orleans, see Karnofsky Tailor Shop–House.
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