C16 perwyke, changed from French perruque wig, peruke
periwig in American English
(ˈpɛrəˌwɪg)
noun
a wig; specif., one of the type worn by men in the 17th and 18th cent., usually powdered and having the hair gathered together at the back with a ribbon
Word origin
earlier perwyke, altered < Fr perruque: see peruke