Kerchief

A woman wearing a black bandana on her head

A kerchief (from the French couvre-chef, "head cover"), also known as a bandana or bandanna, is a triangular or square piece of cloth tied around the head or neck for protective or decorative purposes. The popularity of head kerchiefs may vary by culture or religion, and may vary among Orthodox Jewish and Christian, Catholic, Amish, and Muslim people.

Kerchiefs are also worn as headdresses by Malay men in traditional occasions, such as weddings (worn by the groom) and the pesilat. Their headdresses are better known as tengkolok.

The neckerchief and handkerchief are related items.

Society

The popularity of the bandana and kerchief was at it highest point in the 1970s, 80s and 90s depending on location. After that its popularity started waning in the west, but some eastern cultures maintained its usage for a while, such as in the Persian Gulf countries. It is largely seen as gender neutral and can be worn by both men and women. Its usage, when wrapped up, was partially replaced by the headband.

Bandana

A bandana or bandanna (from Sanskrit बन्धन or bandhana, "a bond")[1][2] is a type of large, usually colourful kerchief, often worn on the head or around the neck of a person. It is considered to be a hat.[1] Bandanas are frequently printed in a paisley pattern and are most often used to hold hair back, either as a fashionable head accessory, or for practical purposes.

Bandanas originated in India as bright coloured handkerchiefs of silk and cotton with spots in white on coloured grounds, chiefly red and blue. The silk styles were made of the finest quality yarns, and were very popular. Bandana prints for clothing were first produced in Glasgow from cotton yarns, and are now made in many qualities. The term, at present, generally means a fabric in printed styles, whether silk, silk and cotton, or all cotton.[3]

The word bandana stems from the Hindi words 'bāndhnū,' or "tie-dyeing," and 'bāndhnā,' "to tie." These stem from Sanskrit roots 'bandhnāti,' "he ties," and Sanskrit 'bandhana' (बन्धन), "a bond."[4] In the 18th and 19th centuries bandanas were frequently known as bandannoes.[5]

See also

Citations and references

Citations

  1. 1 2 "Definition of bandanna". Merriam-webster.com. 2012-08-31. Retrieved 2013-03-15.
  2. ↑ "Bandanna from Dictionary.com". Dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved 2013-03-15.
  3. ↑ Curtis, H. P. (1921). Glossary of Textile Terms. Marsden & Co. Ltd.
  4. ↑ "Bandanna from Dictionary.com". Dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved 2017-06-10.
  5. ↑ Yule and Burnell (2013), "Bandanna", p.78.

References Yule, Henry, & A.C. Burnell (2013 Hobson-Jobson: The Definitive Glossary of British India. (OUP Oxford). ISBN 9780191645839

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