chignon

the word 'chignon' entered english in the late 18th century, borrowed directly from the french word 'chignon' meaning the nape of the neck or a hairstyle worn there. the french term itself derives from old french 'chaignon', meaning chain, link, or nape, which likely originates from the vulgar latin 'catēniōnem', a derivative of the latin 'catēna' meaning chain. the semantic evolution from 'chain' to 'nape of the neck' is thought to be metaphorical, referring to the chain-like vertebrae, and later extended to the hairstyle worn on that part of the body. this journey from a concrete object (chain) to a body part and finally to a specific hairstyle demonstrates a classic path of meaning specialization and transfer.

this word is a loanword from french and is not productively segmented into meaningful morphemes in english.