Relevant Latin, for those who might care

[Bigkahuna]

Ah yes.........Me Mordi!

[Ruanaidh]

This interesting online list of Latin neologisms translates kilt as Scotorum laculata vestis.
http://alpha.furman.edu/~dmorgan/lexicon/silva.htm

[Rollo]

Ruanaidh,
Thanks for sharing this link.
Do you know this :
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/in...exicon_it.html

[saharris]

...Scotorum laculata vestis

Literally, that would be "girded cloth of the Scots". I like the simplicity of Ligaculum better.

[kiltedsawyer]

I believe that would be "ottishscay iltkay," but it has been a few years since I was in eppray oolschay.

[hallmarktex]

Vaccinium Tuum Sum
(“I’m your huckleberry...”)
~John H. Holliday DDS (1851-1887)

one of my favorite movies!

Don't forget:
"Res firma mitacre nescit"
Loosely rendered:
Get it up, Keep it up!
American Flyers

[NewGuise]

Literally, that would be "girded cloth of the Scots". I like the simplicity of Ligaculum better.

I'd have translated that phrase as [Scottish] "tartan," not "kilt," following Lewis & Short: lăcŭlātus, a, um, adj. [lacus], four-cornered, checkered: vestis, woven in square compartments or checks, with inwoven or embroidered pictures.

So I, too, would prefer ligaculum. Then again, as I pointed out in another thread, the official C15 Latin translation of the verb "to kilt" (since the verb preceded the invention of what would later be called a kilt) was succingere ... which might suggest succingulum as the 'expected' noun form. But I like ligaculum well enough.

[Salvianus]

An amusing diversion, and a most welcome one

I like the idea of a word based on tying up ones...
donkey?

Unfortunately, ligaculum recalls the subligar etc to my mind, which has become associated in modern usage with the loincloth and specifically the typically brief gladiatorial wear, which rather clashes the kilt itself.

Actual Roman garments resembling the kilt more closely than that are pictured, but none of them a good match - the licium sacrificial apron is too long and the decoration is wrong, the late Roman perizonium overlaps similarly, but has a distinctive knotting etc. etc.

For 'gird' I would prefer accingere which was widely used for belts etc., but obviously didn't refer to the kilt before it's time.

So what would a Roman re-enactor referring to a modern kilt call it? J.P. Wild made a very convincing case that the name used for garments made of the common checked cloth and simple tartans of the Roman period was scutulata (pl. scutulatae), from the word for squares (and also lozenges) the equivalent of calling it 'a tartan (garment)'.

[auld argonian]

It's always such a pleasure to see so many overeducated individuals strut their stuff.

Best

AA

[Salvianus]

Yeah, but I used to use my overeducation to be a supervillain, so I figure being a historian is less slightly evil.