sheriff English · revision 7179

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=c. 1034}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈʃɛɹɪf/, /ˈʃɛɹəf/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English shir-reve, sherref, from late Old English [[m|ang|sċīrġerēfa|t=representative of the royal authority in a shire]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024) from [[m|ang|sċīr|t=shire]] (see [[shire]]) and [[m|ang|ġerēfa|t=chief, official, reeve]] (see [[reeve]]).^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The officer representing royal authority in an English shire before the Norman Conquest: about 1034.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Scotland a sheriff was from the 12th century a high officer of a county, and later a judge (1375 in the OED).^(OED 1989) In the American colonies and later the US states, a county official chiefly responsible for keeping the peace, it is from the 1660s (1662).^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) ''Sheriff's tooth'' (late 14th century) was a tax levied to pay for the sheriff's food during court sessions.^(Etymonline) A ''sheriff's sale'' is recorded by 1798.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1034 – an Anglo-Saxon royal officer.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1375 – in Scotland.^(OED 1989)

+ * late 14th century – sheriff's tooth.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1662 – in America.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1798 – sheriff's sale.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(US)'' An elected officer of a county, responsible for keeping the peace and enforcing the law.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(England and Wales)'' The chief officer of the Crown in a county, now with mainly ceremonial duties: ''the High Sheriff''.^(Collins 2023)^(COED 2004)

+ # ''(Scotland)'' A judge in a sheriff court.^(Collins 2023)^(COED 2004)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[sheriffdom]]

+ * [[subsheriff]]

+ * [[undersheriff]]

+ * [[sheriffalty]]

+ * [[sheriffwick]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[shire]]

+ * [[reeve]]

+ * [[shrievalty]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}