sõrk

Särk is the Estonian word for a shirt or blouse, a basic upper-body garment worn by people in Estonia and in historical Estonian clothing. In contemporary usage, särk refers to a standard shirt, typically made of cotton or linen and worn as everyday wear or as part of a costume.

In Estonian traditional dress, the särk is often a white linen shirt that serves as the inner layer under a vest, bodice, or jacket. Women’s särk may feature decorative embroidery or lace at the cuffs, collar, or yoke, reflecting regional styles. Men’s versions tend to be plainer. The garment is usually cut to a loose, comfortable fit and is fastened at the front with buttons or ties.

Historically, the särk has roots in everyday rural clothing and is associated with modest, practical dress. It appears in local chronicles and ethnographic descriptions dating from the 18th–19th centuries, though shirts existed earlier in various forms across the Baltic region. The term is cognate with related Finnic languages’ words for shirt, indicating shared cultural and linguistic influences.

Today, the word särk remains common in Estonian language as the generic term for a shirt, while the traditional särk is preserved in folk costumes and cultural exhibitions. It is one of the core elements of Estonia’s textile heritage.