Shire
/ˈʃaɪər/noun
A traditional English county or territorial administrative district.
Did you know?The word “sheriff” began as “shire reeve”—the official responsible for administering a shire, not a fictional Wild West invention.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sker-
“To cut, separate, or make an incision”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*skīrō
“A district or administratively separated territory”
Old English
Old English
scīr
“A district, province, or jurisdiction”
11th Century
Old English
scīr
“An English administrative county governed under royal authority”
Middle English
Middle English
schire
“A county or territorial division”
Modern English
English
shire
“A traditional English county or district”