Undershirt
/ˈʌn.dɚˌʃɝːt/noun
A shirt worn beneath another garment, usually next to the skin.
Did you know?“Shirt” and “skirt” descend from the same ancient Germanic root, with their forms diverging through different linguistic histories and sound changes.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sker-
“To cut or make an incision; the proposed root behind the Germanic family connected with shirt and skirt.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*skurtjō
“A short garment or tunic.”
Old English
OE
scyrte
“A shirt or tunic worn as a garment.”
Old English
OE
under
“Beneath or lower than; the preposition later forming the compound.”
Middle English
ME
under shirte
“A garment worn beneath another shirt or outer layer.”
18th Century
English
under-shirt
“An undergarment worn beneath ordinary clothing; the compound becomes established in English.”
Modern English
English
undershirt
“A shirt worn under other clothing, commonly as a base layer.”