In Chinese apparently there is an extra character added for long/short pants and half/full dress. And footwear applies to sandals, boots, sneakers, etc. Is there an English word that means pants and/or shorts? And one that means a dress and/or skirt?
-
The only thing that comes to mind is the archaic expression "nether garments."– RobustoCommented Aug 14, 2013 at 12:53
-
Your notion of Chinese garment terminology is off—you can add either 短 duân ‘short’ or 长 cháng ‘long’ before any piece of clothing where it makes sense, just like in English; but apart from that, trousers, pants, skirts, and dresses do not have a common denominator. Robusto’s comment gives the only word I can think of, too, but I have a nagging suspicion a lot of people would be unsure whether ‘nether garments’ refers to undergarments or garments worn on the lower part of the body.– Janus Bahs JacquetCommented Aug 14, 2013 at 13:44
-
1Also, dresses don't really belong here at all, since they are worn on the upper part of the body and simply flow down over the lower part.– Janus Bahs JacquetCommented Aug 14, 2013 at 13:44
-
3There are the words bottoms and tops. Bottoms applies to pants, shorts, and skirts; tops applies to t-shirts, blouses, tanktops, and the like. Not an exact fit, but in the ballpark.– J.R.Commented Aug 14, 2013 at 19:08
-
1You appear to be using "pants" with the American meaning of the word, but you should be aware that the word has a different meaning in British English. In British English, "pants" refers to men's underwear, whether 'boxer shorts' or more tightly fitting underwear; men's or ladies' long-legged outerwear is known as 'trousers'. 'Shorts' refers to men's or ladies' outerwear with short legs terminating at or above the knee.– TrevorDCommented Aug 14, 2013 at 20:57
2 Answers
"Bottoms" can be used to refer to pants, shorts, or skirts, in the way that "top" refers generically to shirts and the like. This term is perhaps more common for women's clothes, but I have heard it used in a gender-neutral way when describing dress code to a large group.
I am going to go out on a limb on this one and say that the answer to your question is: "NO, there is no such word."
If someone can prove me wrong I will withdraw this answer.