searce

The story

1. Late Latin · derived from*saetāceus“(cloth) made of bristles”
2. Old French · derived fromsaas
3. Late Latin · derived from*circa
4. Anglo-Norman · derived fromcerche
5. Middle English · inherited fromsarse
6. English todaysearce

From Middle English sarse, probably from Anglo-Norman cerche, *cerce, from Late Latin *circa. Traditionally derived from Old French saas (Late Latin *saetāceus (pannus) (“(cloth) made of bristles”)), but this does not explain the -r- or the final -e of the Middle English form; intrusive -r- before /s/ is sometimes found in Middle English, but one would expect etymological r-less forms to appear alongside such forms.