The word HERF

[WildBlueSooner]

I was curious about this so I did a little research and this is the best explanation I found. Can anyone confirm this, or have you heard different explanations?

1)The term is a derivitive of several languages. To better understand the true meaning of the word one must realize that language is a changing thing; it moves about with various social structures, from land to land.

The Greek derivation is "erphos" from "eos", meaning 'skin'. This is further by a review of the Greek words "Terphos" and Sterphos." This is actually only the begining of the common, or present usage of the term.

An example of the way language travels, and is bastardized, is to be seen in the American Indian Language of Taino. In this language the use of the word "Hura" means wind. The proper pronunciation if akin to "Herf", actually *hurrof*.

Now, when you review the Greek's meanderings throughout the Ancient World, you will understand that they travelled to the British Isles. Any stury can tell you this. The Welsh word we would look to is "Herfeiddio", a verb which means to dare, to be brave, and to defy.

Further North and a bit Eastward we must review the Dutch word "Herfst" and the Anglo-Saxon derivitive "Haerfest". These words refer to the mnal season, or the end of summer.

The end of summer is when they harvested the tobacco leaves. See also, the Greek word "Apora", meaning 'end-of-summer'.

Brave souls (Herfeiddiols), would take the freshly harvestd leaves (Erphos=skin=tobacco leaves), at the harvest (Herfst/Haerfest), and smoke them. Somehow the word found it's way into America, pre-Columbus.

The Taino people, simple and naive as they were, took all the above meanings and rolled them into one, thus "Hura" meaning 'wind'.review of the lore of the Taino finds this word used as both a verb and a noun. As a noun it has the simple meaning of "wind", as we use it, today. As a verb, however, it means:"he-who-harvests-the-thin-tobacco-leaves-of-harvest-time-and-smokes- it."

Interesting stuff!