'underskirt' originates from English, combining 'under' meaning 'beneath' and 'skirt' meaning 'a garment hanging from the waist.'

'underskirt' evolved from the Old English word 'scyrte,' which referred to a short garment, and the prefix 'under' was added to denote its position beneath another garment.

Initially, it meant 'a garment worn beneath another,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.