Shires

[andypeters]

What is the definition of a shire in the UK - eg Berkshire

[Quizmonster]

In Old English, 'scir' - pronounced 'sheer' - meant 'office' or 'authority'. The early Anglo-Saxons divided up their territory into administrative districts, mainly for taxation purposes. Today, the administrative aspect - education, police etc - is probably more important than the taxation aspect, but a 'shire' generally remains a form of authority or layer of government as well as a geographical entity.