c. 1300, from Old French hauberc "coat of mail," earlier holberc, from Frankish *halsberg or a similar Germanic source, literally "neck-cover" (cognates: Old English halsbearh, Old High German halsberc), from *hals "neck" (from Proto-Germanic *h(w)als-, from PIE *kwolso-; see collar (n.)) + *bergan "to cover, protect" (see bury (v.)).
