I have often wondered about the origin of the word HANDKERCHIEF. How come something to blow your nose, wipe your eyes and so on and so forth is called... handkerchief?
Apparently, the answer lies in China. French sailors went back to France during the 15th century, bringing back light pieces of cloth that were particularly appreciated by French ladies. They were originally used by Chinese women to cover their heads and protect them from the sun while working in the fields. So here came the French name: couvrechef (cover for the head) which was later anglicized into kerchief. Since basically at the beginning it was just a fashion item to be carried around, it soon became known as hand kerchief: ladies had parasols against the sun and it was common to wipe one's nose in a sleeve or blow it into the air.
Only in the 16th century, the etiquette started being against using sleeves, while blowing into the air was still admitted. Erasmus of Rotterdam in 1530 recorded that the right way to blow one's nose was the hand kerchief, soon to become handkerchief, still mostly unknown to the Chinese (at least for nose blowing). Those sailors should definitely come back to China with some.
Apparently, the answer lies in China. French sailors went back to France during the 15th century, bringing back light pieces of cloth that were particularly appreciated by French ladies. They were originally used by Chinese women to cover their heads and protect them from the sun while working in the fields. So here came the French name: couvrechef (cover for the head) which was later anglicized into kerchief. Since basically at the beginning it was just a fashion item to be carried around, it soon became known as hand kerchief: ladies had parasols against the sun and it was common to wipe one's nose in a sleeve or blow it into the air.
Only in the 16th century, the etiquette started being against using sleeves, while blowing into the air was still admitted. Erasmus of Rotterdam in 1530 recorded that the right way to blow one's nose was the hand kerchief, soon to become handkerchief, still mostly unknown to the Chinese (at least for nose blowing). Those sailors should definitely come back to China with some.
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| Contadina con fazzoletto, Cesare Laurenti |
2 comments:
both funny and useful to know . bravo!
Thank you Gardener! I like to know my words.
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