Where does “clownfish” come from?
clownfish (English) comes from English Fish, from Old English fiscian, from Proto-West Germanic fiskōn, from Proto-Germanic fiskōną, from Proto-Germanic -ōną, from Proto-Indo-European -eh₂yéti, from Proto-Indo-European -yéti, from Proto-Indo-European yé- — he, she.
clownfish (English): Any of the colorful fish of genera Amphiprion and Premnas in subfamily Amphiprioninae of family Pomacentridae, native to the Pacific and Indian Oceans, notable for their mutual relationship with sea anemones
Definitions
- Any of the colorful fish of genera Amphiprion and Premnas in subfamily Amphiprioninae of family Pomacentridae, native to the Pacific and Indian Oceans, notable for their mutual relationship with sea anemones
Ancestry of “clownfish”, step by step
clownfish traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Fish
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Fish | The constellation and zodiacal sign Pisces |
| 2 | Old English | fiscian | to fish |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | fiskōn | to fish, to catch fish |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | fiskōną | to fish, to catch fish |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -ōną | Creates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -eh₂yéti | Creates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 9 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |
via English clown
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | clown | A slapstick performance artist often associated... |
| 2 | English | clowne | OS grid ref SK4975 |
| 3 | Old Welsh | *Colün | — |
| 4 | Old English | īeġ | island |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | auwju | floodplain; meadow; island |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | awjō | floodplain; meadow; island |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | agwjō | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ékʷeh₂ | water |