A ginnel is a word in various Scottish and northern English dialects describing a fenced or walled alley between residential buildings that provides a pedestrian shortcut to nearby streets. Ginnel Yorkshire Historical Dictionary. Retrieved 16 November 2022. Ginnels are typically found in areas, and do not contain any business premises, unlike some other types of alley. Other related terms include snicket, tenfoot and snickelway. This is why a ginnel is called a ginnel in Yorkshire - according to the experts By Danielle Hoe from Examiner Live. 29 March 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
Suburban streets in Sydney, Australia similarly feature "cut-throughs", which are fenced or walled footpath found between residential lots that grant pedestrians easy access to nearby facilities situated on other roads. They may feature a nature strip and are generally secured by bollards to prevent vehicle access. DESIGN STANDARDS for URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE, 11, FENCES, GUARDRAILS AND BARRIERS Fences, Guardrails and Barriers, Urban Services. 2000. Retrieved 18 November 2022. Guide to Road Design Part 6A: Pedestrian and Cyclist Paths Published by Austroads Incorporated. October 2009. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
In 1744, pharmacist Arthur Jessop wrote a subpoena that mentioned Joseph Eastwood's wife in the "Ginnil" in the Low at Holmfirth in the West Riding of Yorkshire. A subdivision of the Taylor family was said to be of Ginnel in Meltham in 1774. In most works, there is no broad distinction drawn between ginnel and snicket, and the two have been used interchangeably.Jones, Mark W. A Walk Around the Snickelways of York
Both are described as north-country words for a narrow entrance between houses. However, in the Holme Valley, it has been said that a ginnel goes uphill and has setts whereas a snicket does not, and is surrounded by vegetation. "Ginnel" is a dialect word from Yorkshire, UK, which appeared in dialect dictionaries in the 19th century.
According to Collins English Dictionary, a snicket is 'a passageway between walls or fences', Definition of 'snicket' Collins English Dictionary. Retrieved 16 November 2022. and a ginnel is 'a narrow passageway between or through buildings'. Definition of 'ginnel' Collins English Dictionary. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
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Etymology