Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-5052376-20131004182511/@comment-5565348-20131013225633

A shack is a type of small, often primitive shelter or dwelling. The word may derive from the Nahuatl (Aztec) word xahcalli [ʃaʔ'kalːi] or "adobe house" by way of Mexican Spanish xacal/jacal, which has the same meaning as "shack". It was a common usage among people of Mexican ancestry throughout the U.S. southwest and was picked up by speakers of American English.