'unclothe' originates from Middle English, specifically the prefix 'un-' meaning 'not' or 'opposite of' and 'clothe' from Old English 'clāþian', meaning 'to dress'.

'unclothe' changed from the Middle English word 'uncloþen' and eventually became the modern English word 'unclothe'.

Initially, it meant 'to remove clothing', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.