sheriff
/ˈʃɛrɪf/
noun
Origin
Old English
scīr + ġerēfa — county reeve or official
Overview
Meaning Now
- An elected or appointed official responsible for maintaining law and order in a county or other administrative jurisdiction.
Literal older meaning
shire-reeve
Language path
Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
scīrġerēfa
Earliest period
11th century
Journey
In Anglo-Saxon England, the 'scīrġerēfa' acted as the king's representative in a shire, managing tax collection and justice. Following the Norman Conquest, their role evolved under the feudal system, eventually becoming the modern sheriff in the United States and other jurisdictions.
Evolution
- Old English
scīrġerēfa
“a royal officer presiding over a shire”
- Middle English
shirreve
“administrative official of a shire”
- Early Modern English
sherif
“law enforcement officer”
Connections
Word parts
shire
root
administrative division or county
reeve
root
local administrative officer
Related across languages
German
Graf
count (cognate to reeve)
Explore next
Related to sheriff
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.