kerf

Etymology

This word came into English via Middle English kerf, kirf, kyrf, from Old English cyrf ("an act of cutting, a cutting off; a cutting instrument"), from Proto-West Germanic *kurbi, from Proto-Germanic *kurbiz ("a cut; notch; clipping"), from Proto-Indo-European *gerbʰ- ("to scratch"). It is cognate with Saterland Frisian Käärf, West Frisian kerf and Swedish korv, and related to Dutch kerf, German Low German Karve, Karv, and German Kerbe.