Where does “Poisson” come from?
Poisson (Portuguese) comes from French Poisson, from Middle French poisson, from Old French poisson, from Old French peis, from Vulgar Latin pesum, from Latin pēnsum, from Latin pendō, from Proto-Italic pendō — to stretch.
Ancestry of “Poisson”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | Poisson | fish marine animal |
| 2 | Middle French | poisson | fish |
| 3 | Old French | poisson | fish |
| 4 | Old French | peis | Alternative form of pais; Alternative form of... |
| 5 | Vulgar Latin | pesum | — |
| 6 | Latin | pēnsum | allotment, portion, weight (of wool measured out to a slave to spin in a day) |
| 7 | Latin | pendō | to weigh, weigh out |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | pendō | hang, put in a hanging position |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)péndeti | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)pend- | to stretch |