Why Do Businesses Use The Word Shutter When Closing Down?

Whilst solid panel shutters have had a rather substantial revival over the last few decades, typically the term shuttering is used in one of two contexts.

The first is to describe high-quality window and door coverings, typically made of wood and commonly featuring adjustable louvres, but the second is used to describe when a shop or business closes down or terminates a deal or policy.

The origins of the term as a verb date back to 1826, but has its roots in Old English and its Germanic roots.

Initially, the word “scyttan” described specifically the practice of fastening a door or gate in place with a bolt, the idea being that fixing something in place locks it, keeps it secure and means that it cannot be accessed nor used.

Scyttan in itself comes from the West Germanic term “skutjan”, which means to obstruct, which often fits the context that shutter is used in.

It would take until 1826 for the term to be used with a meaning substantially different to “shutting”, and part of the reason for that is differences in the types of shutters used by businesses.

As the beautiful solid wood shutters were increasingly replaced by metal panels and later roller shutters, the implication of shuttering would similarly increase in strength and intensity, implying a more permanent arrangement than perhaps it did previously.

Outside of the shutter industry, shuttering is typically used to describe stores and businesses that are closing for a prolonged period, with characteristic shutters stopping people from going in until the building is ready to be used again.

Unlike most home shutters, where they can be closed but also open thanks to easy-to-use louvres, roller shutters tend to require additional power to open and close, and so if a building is shuttered, the implication in most cases is that this closure is semi-permanent.