Nook-shotten is an old word meaning that something has many corners or projections. Shakespeare used it in Henry V when he spoke about the nook-shotten isle of Albion. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Nook-Shotten”
Here’s an odd word I came across that I’m adopting into my vocabulary.
Okay.
Nookschatten.
Okay, so I’m hearing some German in there?
That’s what I thought too.
I mean, when you hear it, it sounds like Nookschattenfreude or something.
I don’t know.
What is it?
No, no.
It’s very Anglo-Saxon.
Nook, N-O-O-K, hyphen, shotten, S-H-O-T-T-E-N.
So a nook is just like a nook as we know it today?
Like a corner?
Like a corner, yep, yep.
Something that’s nook shotten is something that has many corners, angles, or projections, having an irregular form.
Okay, interesting.
So lots of nooks.
Yes, yes.
In fact, Shakespeare talked about the nook shotten Isle of Albion.
Outstanding.
Oh, yeah, that’s great.
That’s perfect.
Nook shotten.
It certainly is nook shotten.
Email words@waywordradio.org.
