Etymology Explorer › English

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.

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

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpencilA paintbrush; A writing utensil with a graphite ...
2Old Frenchpincil—
3Latinpēniculus—
4Latin-culusAlternative form of -ulus; added to a noun to...
5Proto-Italic*-kelos—
Every word from Proto-Italic *-kelos →