Just what makes a traditional kilt?

[OC Richard]

I wonder if Jock is referring to people using the term "traditional kilt" to refer to a particular kind of historical kilt, the kilt of the first quarter of the 19th century (if I understand them correctly).

Many people use the terms "traditional" and "historical" interchangeably, but in music and other areas the words have nearly opposite meanings.

Here's a crude but useful chart

(unknown origin to...) > (dates of second iteration) > (dates of third iteration) > (dates of fourth iteration, which is its modern form.)

A "traditional" thing is the whole shebang.

A traditional thing is a modern thing. It's still in use. And it can trace its history through a number of evolutionary states in an unbroken chain back to an unknown origin.

Now, let's look a couple ways that a thing can be not traditional.

The thing can have ceased to be in use at some period in the past. Its chart looks like this:

(unknown origin to...) > (dates of second iteration) > (dates of third iteration) > (went out of use by a particular date.)

Another way is for a modern person to go back to one of the earlier (no longer current) stages in the evolution, pluck it out, and revive it.

That's a "revival" thing, a "historical" thing, not a "traditional" thing.