A
muff is a fashion accessory for outdoors usually made of a cylinder of fur or fabric with both ends open for keeping the hands warm. It was introduced to women's fashion in the 1500s and was popular with both men and women in the 17th and 18th century. By the early 1900s muffs were used in England only by women.
[1] In Roman times the place of the glove was taken by long sleeves (
manicae) reaching to the hand, and in winter special sleeves of fur were worn. In Medieval Latin we find the word
muffulae, defined by Du Cange as
chirothecae pellitae et hibernae. He quotes from a
cartulary of the year 817, of the issuing to monks of
sheepskin coverings to be used during the winter. These may have been, as the Roman certainly were, separate coverings for each hand, although the cartulary cited also distinguishes the glove for summer from the muffulae for winter wear. The old French
moufle meant a thick glove or mitten, and from this the Dutch
mof, Walloon
mouffe, and thence English muff, are probably derived.
t:
.
