English
fichu
Fichu comes from French fichu ‘(noun) triangular scarf’, from ficher ‘to drive something by its point’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeygʷ- ‘to set up’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeygʷ-‘to set up’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfīgō‘to fasten, fix’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentficher‘to drive something by its point’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentfichu‘(noun) triangular scarf’
- Englishearliest quotation 1827same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeygʷ-‘to set up’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfīgō‘to fasten, fix’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentficher‘to drive something by its point’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentfichu‘(noun) triangular scarf’
- Englishearliest quotation 1827same form
Earliest quotation: 1827, London: Published by Geo[rge] B[yrom] Whittaker: “No. 2.—Carriage Dress. A dress of taffety of the…”
The story
Borrowed from French fichu (‘(noun) triangular scarf; (adjective) got up, put together’) (in the sense of something thrown on without much thought), from ficher (‘to drive something (such as a nail) by its point’), ultimately from Latin fīgō (‘to fasten, fix; to pierce, transfix; to drive (a nail)’), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeygʷ- (‘to set up’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dʰeygʷ- ‘to set up’
final, fine, finish, definition, dig, infinite, ditch, infinity, finite, dyke, fin, dike, financier, infinitive, fino, finis, finial, 22 more
through Latin fīgō ‘to fasten, fix’
Today it means
noun A woman's lightweight triangular scarf worn over the shoulders and tied in front, or tucked into a bodice to cover the exposed part of the neck and chest.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰeygʷ- / fichu