tunicle

The tunicle is a liturgical vestment. It is a shorter version of the dalmatic, worn by a subdeacon over the alb during Mass. Bishops also wear it under the dalmatic during pontifical ceremonies.1

The dalmatic, from which the tunicle is derived, originated in Dalmatia and was a common outer garment in the Roman world. It evolved into the distinctive garment for deacons. Traditionally, it is a long, white gown with sleeves, often decorated with colored stripes. By the 12th century, it was made in liturgical colors and shortened.2

The word "tunicle" comes from the Latin tunicula, a diminutive of tunica, which was a basic garment in the ancient Mediterranean world. While the tunic was eventually replaced by fitted garments in the 14th century, it was retained in ecclesiastical vestments like the dalmatic and alb.13