shirt English · revision 4117

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=a. 1000|origins=gem-pro *skurtijǭ}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

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

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|shirte]], shurte,^(Barnhart 1988)^(AHD 2000) [[inh|ang|scyrte]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[gem-pro|*skurtijǭ|alt=*skurtjon|t=a short garment]],^(Etymonline) the source also of Old Norse skyrta “shirt”, Middle Dutch scorte and German Schürze “apron”,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) perhaps related to Old English scort “short”,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) from [[ine-pro|*(s)ker-|alt=*sker-|t=to cut]], on the notion of “a cut piece”.^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000) It is a doublet of [[skirt]], which came from Old Norse.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Cresswell 2021) Lithuanian šarkas “shirt” and Russian soročka are perhaps from Germanic.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old English scyrte, before 1000;^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989) the OED notes that its meaning there is obscure, since it occurs only once, in a gloss.^(Etymonline) Middle English shurte, an undergarment for the upper body worn next to the skin, probably before 1200.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It was formerly the chief undergarment of both men and women, but long only of men;^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) for women's tops it was reintroduced in 1896.^(Etymonline) Since the late 14th century the shirt has often stood for one's possessions,^(Etymonline) hence ''the shirt off one's back'' (1771),^(Etymonline) ''to lose one's shirt'', to suffer total financial loss (1935),^(Etymonline) and ''to put one's shirt on'' a bet.^(Cresswell 2021) The ''bloody shirt'', displayed to arouse indignation, is from the 1580s.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) ''Keep your shirt on'', “be patient”, from the mid-19th century,^(Cresswell 2021) or 1904,^(Etymonline) comes from taking off one's shirt for a fight,^(Etymonline)^(Cresswell 2021) as does ''shirty'', “bad-tempered”.^(Cresswell 2021)^(Hoad 1986) A shirt of a particular colour as the badge of a political party is from 1864.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * a. 1000 – Old English scyrte.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1200 – an undergarment.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1580s – ''bloody shirt''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1771 – ''the shirt off one's back''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1864 – a party's coloured shirt.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1896 – a woman's shirt.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1935 – ''lose one's shirt''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A garment for the upper body, usually with a [[collar]], sleeves and buttons down the front.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # An [[undershirt]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # A [[nightshirt]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[shirtless]]

+ * [[shirtband]]

+ * [[overshirt]]

+ * [[redshirt]]

+ * [[shirtdress]]

+ * [[shirtfront]]

+ * [[shirtmaker]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[skirt]]

+ * [[short]]

+ * [[shirty]]

+ * [[shirtsleeve]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}