skirt English · revision 10705

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1300|origins=non skyrta}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /skɜːt/, US /skɝːt/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|non|skyrta|t=shirt, kirtle]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024) cognate with Old English scyrte, which gave [[shirt]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(NODE 1998) Barnhart finds the shift from shirt to the lower part of a dress unclear, but compares Middle Low German schörte, apron, skirt, and Low German Schört, in some places a woman's gown.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The lower part of a woman's dress, hanging from the waist: before 1300 in the OED, before 1325 in Barnhart's Cursor Mundi;^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988) as a surname from 1224.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The lower part of a man's gown or robe is from about 1330,^(OED 1989) and the tails of a coat from 1598.^(OED 1989) A border or edge, as in [[outskirts]], is recorded by the late 15th century.^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) Women collectively are ''skirt'' from the 1550s, 1560 in the OED,^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) and the slang sense, a young woman, from 1906.^(Etymonline) The verb, to border or form the edge of, is from about 1600,^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) and to pass along the edge, or to avoid, from the 1620s.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1224 – Skirt (surname).^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * before 1300 – a woman's skirt.^(OED 1989)

+ * late 15th century – an edge, border.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1560 – women collectively.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1600 – to skirt (verb).^(Etymonline)

+ * 1906 – a young woman (slang).^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A garment hanging from the waist, worn chiefly by women and girls.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # The part of a dress or coat below the waist.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A flap or edge, as round the base of a hovercraft.^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To go round the edge of; to border.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To avoid dealing with a subject: ''to skirt the issue''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[skirted]]

+ * [[skirter]]

+ * [[skirtless]]

+ * [[skirtlike]]

+ * [[outskirt]]

+ * [[maxiskirt]]

+ * [[midiskirt]]

+ * [[miniskirt]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[shirt]]

+ * [[short]]

+ * [[outskirts]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}