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."
I hope that my painstakingly long search for the true meaning of Herf finally puts the damn thing to rest.
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In 1827 a man named Emmanuel Herfiger planted a bit of Cuban seed in his small backyard plot in Philadelphia. He lived near Independence Hall, it just so happens.
Old Manny vowed not to smoke another stogie until his seed grew, was harvested, aged, and rolled into what would appear today to look like a Robusto.
Well, the day before he was to smoke his first home-grown cigar happened to be July 4th.
At that time fireworks were fairly primitive things and there was of course no warning written on the package they came in. Come to think of it, they didn't come in any package at all.
Anyway, Manny's 11 year old son, who his friend's called "Herf," the way we would call someone Smitty, suggested that Manny not wait the day and instead light some 4th of July fireworks with the first of his cigars.
"Sounds good to me," said Manny, lighting up that first Robusto with the forerunner of a match. I think it was a stick with some wax on the end that one stuck into a fire. Anyway, the thing lit up like an LGC on a Blazer, prompting Manny to take two or three puffs. Man, he was in cigar smokers heaven! The damn thing tasted like it had been grown, aged, and hand rolled in Cuba! Then he made his fateful mistake... He picked up what we would today call a Cherry Bomb; one with a short fuse. Manny lit the damn thing and before he could get it clear of his cigar, never mind his face, all was lost.
Well, at Manny's wake his wife Lula (some say it was spelled Loola, records are scarce,) insisted that Manny's friends smoke his cigars and drink his whiskey. (Notice that's whiskey with an 'e,' not that other stuff.) This they did, spreading the word of what a great guy Manny had been. And so, to this day, when you sit around smoking a good cigar, perhaps with drink in hand, you will forever owe a debt of gratitude to the man, who after his death, was responsible for coining the term "herf."
