curfu (Middle English)

Where does "curfu" come from?

The Middle English noun 'curfu', meaning 'curfew' in the sense of a feudal regulation[1], was borrowed from the Old French form 'cuevre-feu'[1]. Later forms ending in the letter r developed due to the influence of the Middle English word 'fyr', meaning 'fire'[1].

Open questions

• The influence of the word fire on the development of forms ending in r is a specific phonetic modification noted in the historical transmission. [1]

Full etymology tree

• curfu (Middle English), 'curfew (feudal regulation)'
  • borrowed cuevre-feu (Old French)
  • influence fyr (Middle English), 'fire'

Descendants and derived words

• curfew (English)

Sources

1. curfu (Middle English) - Wiktionary

Updated August 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris