Late Middle English; earliest use found in Geoffrey Chaucer (c1340–1400), poet and administrator. From Anglo-Norman and Middle French parement (1177 in Old French in sense ‘ornament, adornment’, 1318 in sense ‘altar hanging’; compare parures (plural) fine clothing) and its etymon post-classical Latin paramentum royal state, throne, ecclesiastical dress, sacred furniture, shroud from classical Latin parāre to prepare + -mentum.