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. M. 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.
