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In the Irving Sloane Classic Guitar Construction book dated 1966, there it is in black and white, spelled out for all to see.

Sloane says he uses kerfed linings for the tops and solid basswood linings for the backs of his guitars.

Under a photo though, it states: Fig. 63 Kerfing on machine. The photo shows a single saw blade on a radial arm saw with a jig cutting kerfs in a single lining. So, to my knowledge, that is the first use of Kerfing in a luthier book. For those of you that have the book it is on page 55, lower left.

The article title is Linings at the top of the page. In the text they are always referred to linings or kerfed linings. Only in the photo are they referred to as kerfings.

I just thought it was fun to see an early usage error of the word kerfing.   

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Ahhh, as I sit here re-reading this post, I realized there is no error at all. If the picture is talking about the act of cutting kerfs in a lining, then it is kerfing the lining depicted. IF he was talking of the actual completed linings, then kerfing is incorrect. Kerfing then is the act of cutting kerfs.   

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

I use Kerfing on all my builds.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

A little more info from From Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary:

KERF, n. [Eng. to carve.] The cut of an ax, a saw, or other instrument; the notch or slit made in wood by cutting.

LI'NING, n.
1. The inner covering of any thing, as of a garment or a box. The pleura is called the lining of the thorax.
2. That which is within.

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tim...
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