Where does “underclothing” come from?
Underclothing derives from Middle English under- and -ing (from Old English -ing), combined with a root from Proto-Indo-European n̥dʰér and gley-, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European gel- meaning "to cover or conceal."
underclothing (English): clothing worn next to the skin; underwear
Definitions
- clothing worn next to the skin; underwear
Ancestry of “underclothing”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | under- | Under : insufficient, insufficiently, below what... |
| 2 | English | under | In or at a lower level than; As a subject of;... |
| 3 | Middle English | under | — |
| 4 | Old English | under | under |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | under | among, between; under, beneath; under |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁entér | between |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁en | in; in, inside |