sturgeon etymology

Etymology:

  • Middle English: sterioun, from Old French esturgeon, from Vulgar Latin sturiōnem (accusative of sturio), from Late Latin sturiō, of unknown origin, ultimately from a Celtic language.

Meaning and Origin:

The word "sturgeon" refers to a large, ancient species of fish found in temperate and subtropical water bodies worldwide. It is a member of the genus Acipenser within the family Acipenseridae, which also includes several other types of sturgeon.

The word sturio first appeared in Latin during the 4th century AD. Its exact origin is uncertain, but it is generally believed to come from a Celtic language. Celtic languages were spoken by numerous tribes inhabiting Europe during ancient times, and many Celtic words were borrowed into various Germanic and Romance languages, including Latin.

One possible Celtic origin of "sturgeon" is the Proto-Celtic word *strus-, which means "fish." Another possibility is the Gaulish word *sterge-, meaning "river." The latter etymology would make sense, as sturgeons are migratory fish that spend most of their lives in rivers and estuaries.

Over time, the Latin word sturio was adopted into other languages, including French, English, and Spanish. The English word "sturgeon" first appeared in written records around the 13th century.

It is worth noting that some sources suggest that the word "sturgeon" may also have been influenced by the Old English word "steorra," meaning "star." Sturgeons have a distinctive bony plate arrangement on their back, which may have reminded early speakers of a constellation of stars. However, this etymology is less widely accepted than the Celtic origins mentioned above.

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