Where does “scarf” come from?

Scarf comes from Old Norse skarfr, from Proto-Germanic skarbaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European sek- meaning "to cut."

scarf (English): A long, often knitted, garment worn around the...

Definitions

  1. A long, often knitted, garment worn around the...

Ancestry of “scarf”, step by step

scarf traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old Norse skarfr

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norseskarfrcormorant, shag (bird of the family Phalacrocoracidae)
2Proto-Germanicskarf-
3Proto-Indo-European(s)gʷʰh₂el-to stumble

via English scoff

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishscoffA derisive or mocking expression of scorn,...
2Middle Englishscof

Words derived from “scarf

Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)gʷʰh₂el-Every word from Proto-Germanic skarf-Every word from Old Norse skarfr
scarf — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer