Shillin

The shillin is a unit o currency uised in current an umwhile Commonweel kintras, an uised tae be uised in kintras that left the Commonweel, sic as Ireland an Tanzanie. The wird is thocht tae come fae the base skell-, "tae ring/resoond", an the diminutive suffix -in.

The cutty form o shillin is s, fae the Laitin solidus, the name o a Roman cunyie. Aften it wis writte informal or prentit wi a sleesh, staundin for a lang S,e.g., 1/6d as 1 shillin an saxpence (aften soundit "yin an sax"), or whan thare war nae pence wi a sleesh syne a hyphen, e.g., "11/-". Quite aften a three-neukit shape or (serif) apostrophe wad be uised for tae gie a trig appearance, e.g., "1'6" an "11'-". In Africae it is aften abbreviatit sh.