Where does “pencil skirt” come from?

pencil skirt (English) comes from English pencil, from Old French pincil, from Latin pēniculus, from Latin -culus, from Proto-Italic *-kelos — Diminutive suffix.

pencil skirt (English): A slim skirt with a straight and narrow cut,...

Definitions

  1. A slim skirt with a straight and narrow cut,...

Ancestry of “pencil skirt”, step by step

pencil skirt traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English pencil

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpencilA paintbrush
2Old Frenchpincil—
3Latinpēniculus—
4Latin-culusAlternative form of -ulus; added to a noun to...
5Proto-Italic*-kelosDiminutive suffix

via English skirt

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishskirtAn article of clothing, usually worn by women and...
2Middle EnglishskyrteThe lower half of a robe, overcoat, or vest; The...
3Old Norseskyrtashirt
4Proto-Germanicskurtijǭskirt, apron

Words derived from “pencil skirt”

Every word from Proto-Italic *-kelos →Every word from Latin -culus →Every word from Latin pēniculus →