mackerel English · revision 950

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈmæk(ə)ɹəl/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|makerel]], [[bor|fro|maquerel|t=mackerel]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) of uncertain origin.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) It seems to be the same word as Old French ''maquerel'' “pimp, procurer”,^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) from a Germanic source related to [[dum|makelaer|t=broker]],^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) perhaps from a medieval belief about the fish's mating habits;^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) Etymonline also suggests a link with Latin ''macula'' “spot”, from the fish's markings.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The sea fish ''Scomber scombrus'', common as food (c. 1300);^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) it is found earlier as a surname (1183).^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The fish approaches the shore in shoals in summer to spawn.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) The name was extended with qualifying words to other fishes of the family, such as the Spanish mackerel and horse mackerel.^(OED 1989)^(AHD) A ''mackerel sky'' is a sky of rippled cloud like the markings on the fish's back.^(Wiktionary) The exclamation ''holy mackerel'' dates from 1899.^(OED 1989) The unrelated sense “pimp, bawd” was used in English from 1426.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1183 – as a surname.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * c. 1300 – the fish.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1426 – a pimp or bawd (obsolete).^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1899 – ''holy mackerel''.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A food fish, ''Scomber scombrus'', of the North Atlantic, green with dark wavy bars on the back and a silvery belly.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Any of various related or similar fishes, such as the Spanish mackerel and king mackerel.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[holy mackerel]]

+ * [[mackerel sky]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[tuna]]

+ * [[bonito]]

+ * [[herring]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}