anchovy

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈæn.t͡ʃə.vi/, /ˈæn.t͡ʃəʊ.vi/ (UK); /ˈænˌt͡ʃoʊ.vi/, /ænˈt͡ʃoʊ.vi/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Spanish anchova,^[2][3][4] which Etymonline gives as Portuguese anchova instead.^[5] The Iberian word is from Ligurian anciua,^[3][5][6] perhaps from Vulgar Latin *apiuva,^[2][3][6] a variant of Latin apua “small fish”,^[3][5][6] from Ancient Greek ἀφύη (aphúē, “small fry”).^[2][3][5][6] Another suggestion derives it from a Basque word for “dry”.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

A small fish of the herring family found in the Mediterranean (1596).^[7][3][5]

Semantic evolution

The meaning has stayed close to the original, though the name now covers the whole family Engraulidae.^[2][4][1] Compounds such as anchovy paste and anchovy butter are recorded from the 18th century.^[7]

Timeline

• 1595 – first recorded, in Merriam-Webster's dating.^[4]
• 1596 – the Mediterranean fish.^[7][3]
• 1741 – compounds such as anchovy paste.^[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A small herring-like sea fish of the family Engraulidae, much used in appetizers, sauces and relishes.

Word family

• anchovy pear

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c d e f g Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
4. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
5. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b c d Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
7. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press