Why "Unbifurcate" ...?

[ForresterModern]

Not personally fond of "unicated" as a descriptor for our wear as, unless one is reading the word, it sounds identical to another less desirable descriptor of one's manhood, namely "eunuch-ated". A kilt is a kilt, it can be described however one likes but it is still a kilt. A sarong is a sarong. Other unbifurcated garments for men are called by their own names. To group such divergent but similar items has some uses but no necessity.

Here at xmarks we wear kilts, of a variety of constructions, mostly traditional. I wear a kilt, the kilt, or kilts. I think most of my brethren would likely agree, although I speak for no other man.

jeff

[English Bloke]

You do for me Dr. Jeff. I couldn't have put it better meeself!

[dstarkravingmad]

The description 'kilted' has a long association with rebellion against the social norms - although, admittedly, from the distaff side.

In several old English folk songs the young woman escapes the control of parents or husband and goes off to a new life, or she chase down a man who did her wrong with her garments/petticoats kilted up to her knee at a time when high class ladies wore skirts which swept the floor and showed scarcely the toes of her slippers.

So although undivided garments are the normal mode of dress for the majority of the Human race throughout history, to go kilted is to take the path less trodden.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

Nicely put!

In my search for freedom, I believe the Kilt is for me. I like the clean lines, attention to detail, grace, and versatility. I see no other male garment that is so versatile, to dress up or down. No p@nts of any tradition has this same versatility.

I am not revolutionary, merely sane... OK, maybe just a little less sane and slightly more revolutionary.

[Jay]

Ok, so my search for a better alternative to discomfort lead me to MUG's which lead me to XMarks. I like kilts above the various other forms of menswear which are ohter than p@nts (sorry, I'll try not to use such bad language)



But why do we use "unbifurcated" to describe the Kilt or even sarongs? The word makes 'bifurcated' or 'furcated' the root and therefore the norm when bifurcated clothing is really not the global norm. While a case may be made that it is a Western fashion norm, there are far more peoples in the world using non-furcated clothing for men than those that do not.

So, my question is; what word (other than "Kilt") would better describe the return to the norm of Kilted men as opposed to illustrating wearing the Kilt (or sarong, etc) as a deviant or rebellious behavior?

I thought of coining "Unicated" to replace "unbifurcated" for "uni-" meaning "one" and "cate" meaning... I don't know but derived from furcate. All I can find for "Cate" is a 1. a delicacy (food); 2. things bought; 3. to seek or catch.

Unicated sounds nice, though, right?

Short of it is I am not a deviant, I am a traditionalist and MUG sounds like a rebellion rather than the return to sanity that it is.

Not that rebellion isn't fun and all...

Bathing daily with soap is not the norm on a global basis. Eating off plates with utensils is not the global norm.

And yet, we do not specifically ask if someone plans on using soap when they shower. We draw attention to eating some foods with our hands (finger foods) because utensils are the norm here.


We compare to our own culture and standards, not that of 3rd world countries.