Where does “lutefish” come from?

lutefish (English) comes from English lute, from Middle French lut, from Old French leüt, from Occitan laüt, from Old Occitan laüt, from Arabic عود, from Arabic عَادَ, from Arabic و — {{m|en|O|id=vocative}}.

lutefish (English): Any of a family of characiform fish (Citharinidae), including the genera Citharidium (one species), Citharinops (one species), and Citharinus (6 species)

Definitions

  1. Any of a family of characiform fish (Citharinidae), including the genera Citharidium (one species), Citharinops (one species), and Citharinus (6 species)

Ancestry of “lutefish”, step by step

lutefish traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via English lute

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishluteA fretted stringed instrument of European origin,...
2Middle Frenchlut
3Old Frenchleüt
4Occitanlaütlute
5Old Occitanlaütlute
6Arabicعودwood, timber; stick, rod, pole; branch, twig
7Arabicعَادَto return, go back
8Arabicوand, "comma", "semi-colon"; a divider of words or...
9PersianیاAPI •; or; either
10Arabicيَا{{m|en|O|id=vocative}}

via English Fish

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishFishThe constellation and zodiacal sign Pisces
2Old Englishfiscianto fish
3Proto-West Germanicfiskōnto fish, to catch fish
4Proto-Germanicfiskōnąto fish, to catch fish
5Proto-Germanic-ōnąCreates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates...
6Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
7Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-
9Chichewaiyehe, she

via Norwegian lutefisk

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Norwegianlutefisk
Every word from Arabic يَاEvery word from Persian یاEvery word from Arabic و