shinny v.

Middle English shin, from Old English scinu "fore part of the leg below the knee; shinbone," from Proto-Germanic *skino "thin piece" (source also of Dutch scheen, Middle Low German schene, Old High German scina "shin," German Schienbein "shin, shinbones"), from PIE root *skei- "to cut, split." Shinbone, shin-bone is Old English scinban. Shin splints is attested by that name from 1930.

ball game played with a curved stick or club, 1527, implied in a document from Ireland ("The horlinge of the litill balle with hockie stickes or staves ..."), of unknown origin. Perhaps related to French hoquet "shepherd's staff, crook," diminutive of Old French hoc "hook." The hooked clubs with which the game is played resemble shepherds' staves. In North America, ice hockey is distinguished from field hockey, but hockey alone can mean either. Also known as shinny or shinty.

"a dance, a ball; rowdy party, lively gathering," 1851, U.S. colloquial, probably from earlier slang shindy "a spree, row, disturbance, merrymaking" (1821). That also was the name of an early game resembling hockey (1846); in this sense the word is perhaps from shinty (1771), the name of a Scottish game akin to hockey, for which see shinny (n.). Sometimes in early sources said to be Irish (a German newspaper in Baltimore in 1861 writes of ein Tanz oder "Shindig", wie die Irländer es nennen), but evidence is wanting.

It also has been suggested that the word represents shin (n.) + dig (n.) in some meaning, or has been influenced by folk-etymology. Originally especially a low-class dancing affair, and often used in the South of gatherings of Blacks.