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kef·fi·yeh or kaf·fi·yeh

(kə-fēə)

A square of cloth, often embroidered, traditionally worn as a headdress by Arab men, either by winding it around the head or by folding it into a triangle, draping it over the head, and securing it with an agal. Also called shemagh.

[Arabic kūfīya, from feminine of kūfī, of Kufa, Kufic, from al-Kūfa, Kufa, a city in central Iraq.]

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keffiyeh

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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