The term "v-neck" is a modern compound noun formed through straightforward descriptive compounding in English. The first element is the letter "V," borrowed from the Latin alphabet, used iconically to denote a specific angular shape. The second element, "neck," is a native English word of Germanic origin referring to the body part, which by extension came to describe the part of a garment surrounding it. The compound logically and visually describes a garment opening that descends from the shoulders in two diagonal lines meeting at a point, mimicking the form of the letter V. This style became a standard term in fashion and clothing design in the 20th century.

Structure: v (letter shape) + neck (body part/clothing part) v: The 22nd letter of the modern English alphabet, used here as a direct visual descriptor of shape. Its origin is the Latin letter V, which descended from the Greek letter upsilon (Υ, υ) and ultimately the Phoenician letter waw. neck: From Old English hnecca ("neck, nape"), from Proto-Germanic hnekk- ("the nape of the neck"), of uncertain deeper origin. In this compound, it refers to the part of a garment that fits around the neck.