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Where does the word "mahimahi" come from? It comes from Hawaiian mahimahi, and was adopted directly into English (1900s).
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Where does the word "mahimahi" come from? It comes from Hawaiian mahimahi, and was adopted directly into English (1900s).
Mahimahi’s story begins in Hawaiian: mahimahi meant “very strong.” Literally "very strong", describing the fish's fighting strength when caught. It reached English by 1900s as mahimahi. Adopted for the fish to distinguish it from the marine mammal dolphin. Today, mahimahi means a colorful tropical fish, also called dorado or dolphinfish.
- Stage 1 · Hawaiian · ancient mahimahi "very strong", literally "very strong", describing the fish's fighting strength when caught.
- Stage 2 · English · 1900s mahimahi "a colorful tropical game fish", adopted for the fish to distinguish it from the marine mammal dolphin.