The word 'tuft' entered English in the late 14th century from Anglo-Norman 'touffe' or 'toffe', meaning a tuft or clump. This likely derived from a Late Latin or Vulgar Latin source such as 'tufa', which may be connected to a Germanic root. The core concept has remained remarkably consistent from its medieval origins, directly describing a small cluster or bunch of flexible items like hair, grass, or feathers held together at one end. Its journey from a term in the language of the Norman rulers into common English vocabulary illustrates the simplification of form while retaining a specific, concrete meaning.

The word 'tuft' is a simplex word of Anglo-Norman origin. It does not contain separable, meaningful morphemes within its modern English spelling.