Cerfe

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Cerfe arabice cortex arborum, melius per .k. scribitur.


Translation:

Cerfe is the Arabic word for Latin cortex arborum {"bark of trees"}, it is better written with 'k'.


Commentary:

Wehr (1976): ﻗﺮﻓﺔ /qirfa/ "rind, bark, skin, crust; scab, scurf; cinnamon"; Siggel (1950: 59): /qirf/, ﻗﺮﻓﺔ qirfa Rinde, allg., bes. v. Cinnamomum zeylandicum (Laurac.), Zimtrinde {"bark in general, of Cinnamomum zeylandicum (Laurac.), in particular; cinnamon bark"}.


It is likely that Simon suggests a "better" spelling kerfe in order to avoid a pronunciation natural to an Italian speaker, where the 'c' is pronounced with the sound as in English "chest", i.e. /tsherfe/.


See also: Kerfe

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