mischeif
‘behavior that causes discomfiture or annoyance in another’
Lexical development traced from the Tamil root:
E. mechef, myschyfe, mischife, myschefe < O.F. meschief ‘misfortune, harm, trouble; annoyance, vexation’ < Mod.F. méchef < meschever ‘come or bring to grief, be unfortunate’ < mes- ‘badly’ + chever ‘happen, come to a head’ < Vulgar Lat. capare ‘head’ < Lat. caput ‘head’ < chuhf < kaput- < Tamil kappu