scarf
SKARF · noun
Old FrenchOld Northern FrenchEnglish
Origin
The neckwear sense probably comes from Old Northern French escarpe, related to Old French escharpe, a pilgrim's purse worn on a cord around the neck. Another sense of scarf, a joint where two pieces are cut to fit together, is of uncertain origin but may come from Old Norse skarfr, tied to the verb skera, 'to cut.'
Journey
The word seems to have drifted from something carried at the neck to something worn around it, while a separate carpentry sense kept closer to the idea of cutting and fitting pieces together.
Related words
Scarf is a doublet of scrip, the word for a small bag or satchel, both tracing back to that same French root for a neck-slung pouch.