Shingle
/ˈʃɪŋ.ɡəl/noun
A small thin piece of wood, slate, or other material used to cover roofs or walls.
Did you know?The word ultimately traces back to Latin *scindula*, meaning a thin split piece, from *scindere* “to split,” which is the same ancient root behind words connected to cutting and splitting.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*skei-
“to cut, split”
Latin
Latin
scindere
“to split, divide”
Late Latin
Latin
scindula
“a split piece, a thin board or tile”
Old English
Old English
scingel
“a roof tile or shingle”
Middle English
English
shingel
“a small split piece used for roofing”
Modern English
English
shingle
“a thin roofing or siding piece”