Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “undershirt” come from?

Undershirt derives from Middle English under- and -en, from Proto-Germanic under, from Proto-Indo-European n̥dʰér and i-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European en.

undershirt (English): An undergarment worn beneath a shirt, often...

Definitions

  1. An undergarment worn beneath a shirt, often...

Ancestry of “undershirt”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishunder-Under : insufficient, insufficiently, below what...
2EnglishunderIn or at a lower level than; As a subject of;...
3Middle Englishunder—
4Old Englishunderunder
5Proto-Germanicunderamong, between; under, beneath; under
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁entérbetween
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁enin; in, inside

Words derived from “undershirt”

  • undershirted
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁en →