† kerch1, kerche Obs.
[Another form of curch: for vowel cf. kerchief.
With ME. keuerche, kerche (disyllabic) cf. OF. cuevrechié, occas. form of cuevrechief, in pl. cuevrechies; the regular mod. repr. of this would be kerchy: cf. kerchief 1 δ.]
= kerchief 1.
| c 1430 in Pol., Rel. & L. Poems 47 She weryd a keuerche. c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 47 Upon hir hed a kerche [v.r. kerchef] of Valence. c 1440 Generydes 3827 With hir kerche she bekenyd hym aside. Ibid. 4398 Before hir eyne a kerche hanging side. 1463 Bury Wills (Camden) 33 A lityl grene coffre for kerchys. 1698 Martin Voy. Kilda (1749) 50 The Kerch, or Head-dress worn by herself. a 1800 Sweet Willie in Child Ballads (1861) II. 135 The scarlet sae red, and the kerches sae white, And your bonny locks hangin down. |