kirtle (n.)

Old English cyrtel, "a man's tunic; a woman's skirt," which is related to Old Norse kyrtill "tunic;" both are regarded as being probably from Latin curtus "short" (from PIE root *sker- (1) "to cut") + diminutive suffix -el (2). The thing it described varied by time and place. Of garments for both sexes in Old English; but later principally of male attire before c. 1500 and female ("gown," later "outer petticoat") from c. 1650.