Coiffure

[Dr. Goodword]

• coiffure •

Pronunciation: kwah-fyur • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: Fancy or elaborate hair style.

Notes: A man who creates coiffures is a coiffeur. A female hairdresser would be properly called a coiffeuse. All these words originated as derivations of coif, but this word retained its sense of a skullcap worn under armor or a nun's veil. Coif, however, has become a verb meaning "to arrange someone's hair in a coiffure", though it is rarely used.

In Play: I'm sure this word arose in the mind of today's contributor as a result of the 2016 presidential election: "Mr. Trump has a signature coiffure that he is known for throughout the world." This word today, however, is most often associated with women's hair: "Barbara Seville arrived at the Snow Ball with a coiffure so elaborate that she had difficulty keeping it all atop her head."

Word History: Today's Good Word originated in French coiffeur "hairdresser", from coiffer "to dress hair". This word, in turn, was built on Old French coife, originally meaning "the inner part of the helmet". This word is based on Old French coife "skull-cap", Modern French coiffe "a kind of hat, a cup", inherited from Late Latin coifa "a cap, hood". This Latin word was also the origin of Italian cuffia "bonnet", Portuguese coifa "hairnet", and Spanish cofia "cap, bonnet". English coif "close-fitting cap" was borrowed from the same word. The Latin word would seem to be of West Germanic origin, perhaps Old High German kupphia or Middle High German kupfe, both of which meant "cap". (William Hupy who, I'm sure, always has enjoyed a lovely head of hair, is due our gratitude for suggesting today's stylishly Good Word.)

[damoge]

Was expecting it all to go back to the origin of Kopf. No??

[Slava]

My guess is that kopf is from this root, but as it's German, not English, I expect that's why it's not mentioned.

[Philip Hudson]

Sandra Brown, a modern crime novelist, loves to use the word chignon, otherwise called a bun, a granny bun, and a topknot. Both my grannies had granny buns, as did most of their old lady friends. My mother, in her youth, wore her hair shingled. In mid-life she rolled her hair around a ribbon and placed it on the top of her head like a crown. It was beautiful. During the press of raising seven children, she gave that up and just went to the beauty parlor for the standard hairdo of the day. With respect to men's coiffures, the worst example is the comb over. I could do that, perhaps to advantage, but I revel in my balding head. Some women like to kiss bald heads. My father had that problem for most of his life.