An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Zopf

by Friedrich Kluge

Zopf, masculine ‘(long) plait of hair, pigtail, cue, tuft,’ from Middle High German and Old High German zopf, masculine, ‘end, peak, cue.’ Corresponding to Low German topp, Dutch top, ‘end, peak,’ Anglo-Saxon and English top (Middle English variant tuft), Old Icelandic toppr, ‘tuft of hair,’ Old Frisian top, ‘tuft,’ Swedish topp, Danish top, ‘point, end, cue.’ A common Teutonic word, by chance not recorded in Gothic. The literally meaning seems to be ‘projecting end’; hence Zopf originally ‘points of the hair when tied together’ (compare Zapfen and Topp). The value attached even in the Middle Ages to long plaits of hair as an element of female beauty is attested especially by the fact that the Swabian and Alemannian women when taking an oath held their plaits in their hands. Among the Teutons, to cut a person's hair was to brand him with infamy. From Teutonic are derived the Romance cognates, Old French top, ‘tuft of hair,’ Spanish tope, ‘end,’ Italian toppo, Modern French toupet, ‘tuft, lock of hair.’ No cognate terms are found in the non-Teutonic languages.