short-sleeve

The compound adjective 'short-sleeve' is a transparent combination of two native English words. 'Short' originates from the Proto-Germanic skurtaz, conveying the concept of being cut off or brief. 'Sleeve' derives from the Proto-Germanic slaubjōn, related to the action of slipping or sliding, likely referring to the way an arm slides into a garment. The literal combination, describing a garment with sleeves that do not extend to the wrist, emerged naturally in English to specify a style of clothing, contrasting with 'long-sleeve'. Its logic is purely descriptive, directly mapping the physical attributes of the garment components to the modern term.

Structure: short (brief in length) + sleeve (part of a garment covering the arm) - short: From Old English sceort, of Germanic origin; related to Old High German scurz. Functions as an adjective describing limited length or duration. - sleeve: From Old English slīef, slȳf, of Germanic origin; related to Middle Low German slōven 'to slip on (clothes)'. Functions as a noun denoting the part of a garment that covers the arm.