Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “periwig” come from?

Periwig comes from French perruque, from Italian perrucca, a hairpiece worn as a fashionable disguise or adornment.

periwig (English): A wig, especially any kind of stylised wig as...

Definitions

  1. A wig, especially any kind of stylised wig as...

Ancestry of “periwig”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchperruquewig; wig, periwig, peruke
2ItalianperruccaAlternative form of parrucca
3Italianparruccawig

Words derived from “periwig”

  • wig
  • wigging
  • bigwig
  • wigmaker
  • periwigged
  • wigger
  • wigless
  • wiggery
  • tiewig
  • wiglet
  • wiglike
  • wigman
  • bewig
  • smallwig
  • unwig
  • demiwig
Every word from Italian parrucca →