kerchief

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | 341 words | Copyright

kerchief (arch.) cloth head-covering. XIII. ME. c(o)urchef, kerchif — AN. courchef = (O)F. couvre-, cuevre-chef, f. couvrir COVER + chief head (see CHIEF). The form kerchief is from the var. cuevrechef (cf. ME. kever cover, from cuevr-, stressed stem of couvrir).
Hence handkerchief XVI, neckerchief XIV (necke couerchef, neckerchef).

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

T. F. HOAD. "kerchief." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "kerchief." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-kerchief.html

T. F. HOAD. "kerchief." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-kerchief.html

Learn more about citation styles