Etymograph

English

sheriff

Sheriff comes from Middle English shirreve, from Old English sċīrġerēfa ‘sheriff’, corresponding to shire + reeve.

  1. Old Englishc. 450–1150sċīrġerēfa1‘sheriff’
  2. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500shirreve1‘a sheriff’
  3. Englishtodaysheriff1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English sheriff

Lineage

  1. Old Englishc. 450–1150sċīrġerēfaWiktionary, English sheriff‘sheriff’
  2. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500shirreveWiktionary, English sheriff‘a sheriff’
  3. EnglishtodaysheriffWiktionary, English sheriff

The story

There is no etymological connection to sharif (Arabic شَرِيف (šarīf)), an Arabic title of honour with cognates in other languages, including Persian, Punjabi, Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, Turkish, Spanish, Portuguese, etc.

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

pairs

  • sheriff and shire both from Old English sċīr ‘shire’

Every English word from Old English sċīrġerēfa

Today it means

noun (High Sheriff) An official of a shire or county office, responsible for carrying out court orders, law enforcement and other duties.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “sheriff”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Old English sċīrġerēfa / sheriff

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