In the course of my previous couple of posts I faced a huge mystery. Google “what is the proper name for a nun’s headdress†and you won’t be much the wiser. At least, unlike Robert Browning, I know that it isn’t a twat. “Veil†is the best I could come up, thanks to the OED via Google Books.
“Taking the veil†is a phrase I had come across, but somehow the idea of a veil being behind the head was not part of my understanding. I’ve always thought of a veil as covering the face; Not necessarily the eyes, but the face definitely. The Jewish Temple bit I had no idea about, nor do I really want to know as much as I possibly could. But the idea of a concealing veil, a veil that can be unveiled, that made sense.
So I’m left with nun’s headdress. Unless you know better.
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I was always under the impression that it was called a wimple.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wimple
Although the wiki article on habits doesn’t mention the word (it just says that nuns wear veils).
Still, wimple is my story and I’m sticking to it.
-Sam
I think a wimple is pointier and higher. Covers more of the face too, like encroaches onto the cheeks.
Wimble is what I would have said too. And now of course I’m going crazy trying to remember the italian word for it.
Another vote for wimple as the generic English term!