Searchable Lemmata: corchif (AF), cour-chef (ME), ker-chef (ME), curch (OScots), cwrsi (W), kerchief (MdE).
Alternate Forms: cherchiffes, corchyfes, corecheffe, couerchyf, cowrsi, cywrsi, keercheef, kerchef, kercheves, kerchevys, kerchew, kerchewe, kerchieffes, kerchiues, kerchofes, kerchow, kerchyf, kerchyff, kertchefs.
1a(n.)
Accessory;
cf. coverchief 1a, a piece of cloth, primarily used to cover the head; headcloth or veil, often of fine material and/or adorned; also (in plural), a group of such cloths used as headdressing [may be some overlap with following senses].(ante 1250 still in current use)
4. [954] ... Kerchofes ... wyth mony cler perlez ... [957-8] ... Þat oþer wyth a gorger watz gered ouer þe swyre, Chymbled ouer hir blake chyn with mylkquyte [for alliteration, amend to: chalkquyte] vayles ... [959] ... Hir frount folden in sylk enfoubled ay-quere / Toret & treleted with tryflez aboute
Arthurian, Heroic, Poetic, Romance.
[MED Gawain ((Nero A.10) 954-960) circa 1400]
5. Item vij towell' ... pris viijs.
Item iiij roll' worstede ... pris xxs.
Item iiij pec. worstede ... pris iiij markes
Item iiij pec. Card ... pris xs.
Item j pec. et di. de bordelisaundre ... pris vjs.
Item ij keverlites ove ij testurys
enbrawded de le minime stature ... xiijs. iiijd.
Item j keverlite et testur' de blew worstede ... vjs. viijd.
Item j pec. de ffustyan ... xiijs. iiijd.
Item iiij dossen kercheves de Berchefoll ... xiijs. iiijd.
Item vj peyntyd clothus ... iiijs.
[LexP Bristol Customs Searchers (p. 51, no. 38.A) circa 1399/1413]
Sex: Male, Female Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: Head, N/A.
1b(n.)
Accessory;
cf. coverchief 1b & 1c, a veil (as above) or else a piece of cloth wrapped about the body or used for various other purposes, such as a face-cloth (cf. facitergium), a neck-cloth, a handkerchief, as a covering or for concealment, to cover the sacrament, etc.(ante 1250 still in current use)
2. There is j kome in to Englond, a Knyght out of Spayne, wyth a kercheff of plesaunce i wrapped aboute hys arme; the qwych Knyght wyl renne a cours wyth a sharpe spere for his sovereyn lady sake.
[MED Paston (2.47) 1447]
7. To arme a man. ffirste ye muste sette on Sabatones and tye hem up on the shoo with smale poyntis ... And then griffus & then quisses ... And þen rerebras, And then glovys [vr. cloovis]
He schal have ... a payr' hosyn of stamyn sengill and a peyre of shorte bulwerkis of thynne blanket to put aboute his kneys for chawfynge of his lighernes. ... A longe swerde ... Also a kerchif to hele the viser of his basinet ... His basinet pynnid up on two greet staplis before the breste, with a dowbill bokill behynde up on the bak for to make the basinet sitte juste ... Thre coordis muste be faste sowid un to the hele of the shoo and fyne [read: fyue] cordis in the mydill of the soole ... and that ther be betwene the frettis of the heele and the frettis of the myddill of the shoo the space of thre fyngris.
Legal.
[MED Arms Chivalry (Mrg M 775) (43-44) ante 1486]
8. [146] ... Thys be the stuffe of þe chapelle of Stonor ... Item, vj labells of purpulle velvet wyth crossus ... Item, j kerchew of umpull for þe sacurment ... [147] ... A rede coverlet wyth grene chapelettes
[MED Stonor (1.146-147) circa 1474]
Sex: Male, Female, Infant Use: n/a Status: n/a Rank: n/a Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.
1c(n.)
Textile;
? material for kerchiefs.(circa 1380 ?)
1. [2.214] ... (1378) [A red robe furred with] bysshes ... [Gowns furred with] Grys ... [A fermail of gold having the Royal Arms of England, with a pair of paternostres of silver attached thereto called] langettis ... [2.216] ... (1380) [Pieces of] coerchiefs
Legal, Wills.
[MED Will Court Hust. ((Gldh) 2.214-216) 1378/1380]
Sex: N/A Use: n/a Status: n/a Rank: n/a Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.
