Shetland

group of islands north of Scotland, from Old Norse Hjaltland; in reference to a type of pony, 1801; as a breed of sheep, 1794. Related: Shetlander.

also from 1801

Entries linking to Shetland

Sheltie (n.)

also Shelty, type of small, sturdy horse, 1640s, "Shetland pony," an abbreviation of Sheltand, a metathesis of Shetland. Or the word may represent the Orkney pronunciation of Old Norse Hjalti "Shetlander."

Trends of Shetland

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.

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scalawag

influence of wag "habitual joker") of Scottish scallag "farm servant, rustic," itself an alteration of Scalloway, one of the Shetland...Islands, the reference being to little Shetland ponies (an early recorded sense of scalawag was "undersized, ill-fed, or...

haff

The same word as haaf "the deep sea," which survived in the fishing communities of the Shetland and Orkney islands....

ducky

use of duck as a term of endearment "identical with Danish dukke, a baby or puppet (Wolff), Ger. docke, a doll or puppet, Shetland...

pony

The Shetland breed of ponies are stoutly built, active and hardy, with very full mane and tail, and of gentle, docile disposition...

Atlantic

early 15c., Atlantyke, "of or pertaining to the sea off the west coast of Africa," from Latin Atlanticus, from Greek Atlantikos "of Atlas," adjectival form of Atlas (genitive Atlantos) as used in reference to Mount Atlas in Mauritania (see Atlas). The name has been extended since

sheep

ruminant mammal of the genus Ovis, as a domestic species, one of the animals most useful to humans, Old English sceap, scep, Northumbrian scap, from West Germanic *skæpan (source also of Old Saxon scap, Old Frisian skep, Middle Low German schap, Middle Dutch scaep, Dutch schaap,

dog

"quadruped of the genus Canis," Old English docga, a late, rare word, used in at least one Middle English source in reference specifically to a powerful breed of canine; other early Middle English uses tend to be depreciatory or abusive. Its origin remains one of the great myster

derogatory

c. 1500, "detracting or tending to lessen authority, rights, or standing by taking something away from," from Late Latin derogatorius, from Latin derogatus, past participle of derogare "to take away, detract from, diminish," also "repeal partly, restrict, modify," from de "away"

synagogue

late 12c., sinagog, "the regular public worship and religious instruction of the Jews," also a place or building for Hebrew worship, from Old French sinagoge "synagogue, mosque, pagan temple" (11c., Modern French synagogue), from Late Latin synagoga "congregation of Jews," from G

blood

Old English blod "blood, fluid which circulates in the arteries and veins," from Proto-Germanic *blodam "blood" (source also of Old Frisian blod, Old Saxon blôd, Old Norse bloð, Middle Dutch bloet, Dutch bloed, Old High German bluot, German Blut, Gothic bloþ), according to some s

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updated on August 22, 2022

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