Shack
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Shack (disambiguation).
A large shack near Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Shacks in Kayamandi, South Africa
In relatively affluent areas, shacks are often used for storage or have been abandoned.
A shack is a type of small, often primitive shelter or dwelling. The word may derive from the Nahuatl (Aztec) word xahcalli [ʃaʔˈkalːi] or "adobe house" by way of Mexican Spanish xacal/jacal, which has the same meaning as "shack".[1] It was a common usage among people of Mexican ancestry throughout the U.S. southwest and was picked up by speakers of American English.
It is possible that up to a billion people worldwide live in shacks.[2] Fire is a significant hazard in tight-knit shack settlements.[3] Shack settlements are also sometimes known as slums or shanty towns.
A shack in Australian English can also refer to a small holiday house with limited conveniences, for instance it may not have running water or electricity.
References
- ↑ http://www.bartleby.com/61/75/S0307500.html
- ↑ Planet of Slums, Verso, 2006
- ↑ A Big Devil in the Jondolos: A report on shack fires by Matt Birkinshaw
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