Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “catfish” come from?

I can't write this etymology summary because the chain provided shows only repetitive English entries with no older languages, origins, or meaning information. A valid etymology requires progression to earlier language sources (like Proto-Germanic, Latin, etc.) and actual documented meanings to trace semantic development. Could you provide the complete etymological chain showing the word's progression through earlier languages?

catfish (English): any fish of the order Siluriformes, mainly found...

Definitions

  1. any fish of the order Siluriformes, mainly found...

Ancestry of “catfish”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishCatA piece of heavy machinery, such as a backhoe, of...
2EnglishconcatenateTo join or link together, as though in a chain;...
3Latinconcatenatus
4Latinconcatenoconcatenate; link or chain together
5Latincōn-—
6Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
7Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
8Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
9Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
10Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
11Middle Englishkyt—
12Germankitt—
13Old High Germankuti—
14Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
15Proto-Germanickweduzresin
16Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
17Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →