entry
anchovy
/ˈæn.tʃəʊ.vi/; /ˈæn.tʃoʊ.vi/Small saltwater fish prized for its strong flavor
From Portuguese, probably through Genoese or Corsican dialect anchovy (Small fish).
from Latin aphyē, apua
from Portuguese anchova
Word Ancestry
from Latin aphyē, apua
from Portuguese anchova
A little fish took a surprisingly complicated journey around the Mediterranean before landing on English menus. Portuguese anchova, recorded in English in the 1590s, probably passed through Genoese or Corsican speech, where forms such as anciôa and anchjuva were used. One theory sends it farther back to Greek ἀφύη, a word for small fry, by way of Latin apua; another connects it with Basque anchuva, “dry,” imagining the preserved fish as the naming clue. Neither route fits every sound neatly, so anchovy carries a small linguistic mystery along with its famously enormous flavor. Remember it this way: the fish is tiny, but its name has sailed through Greek, Latin, Iberian, and Ligurian waters before reaching your pizza.
The Story
A little fish took a surprisingly complicated journey around the Mediterranean before landing on English menus. Portuguese anchova, recorded in English in the 1590s, probably passed through Genoese or Corsican speech, where forms such as anciôa and anchjuva were used. One theory sends it farther back to Greek ἀφύη, a word for small fry, by way of Latin apua; another connects it with Basque anchuva, “dry,” imagining the preserved fish as the naming clue. Neither route fits every sound neatly, so anchovy carries a small linguistic mystery along with its famously enormous flavor. Remember it this way: the fish is tiny, but its name has sailed through Greek, Latin, Iberian, and Ligurian waters before reaching your pizza.
Modern Usage
A vulgar insult describing someone or something as having a fishy or foul smell
Notable References
- Urban Dictionary entries describing anchovy as an offensive smell comparison
Kin & Kindred
From 'anchovy'·Small fish; ultimate source uncertain
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary
Wikipedia
Wiktionary