The word 'wig' has a playful and somewhat disguised origin. It is a shortened form of 'periwig', which entered English in the 16th century from the French 'perruque', meaning 'head of hair'. 'Perruque' itself likely derives from the Italian 'parrucca', whose ultimate origin is uncertain but may be connected to the Latin 'pilus' (hair). The clipped form 'wig' emerged in the late 17th century, reflecting a common linguistic process where a longer, borrowed word is abbreviated into a snappier, more native-sounding term. This evolution from a formal head-covering term to the simple, everyday word 'wig' mirrors its transition from an aristocratic accessory to a more common article.

The word 'wig' is a simplex word, a short, tight Germanic root. It is a clipped form of the word 'periwig', which itself entered English from the French 'perruque'.