tuna

Where does the word "tuna" come from? It comes from Greek thynnos, passing through Latin, Arabic and Spanish before entering English (1880s).

Tuna’s story begins in Greek: thynnos meant “tunny.” The tunny fish. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Latin as thunnus. The tunny. From there it passed into Arabic as tūn by medieval. Taken from Latin in the Mediterranean. Spanish picked it up next, as atún, around medieval. From Arabic, with the article 'al-' fused on. It reached English by 1880s as tuna. Californian fishermen took the name from Spanish; canned tuna boomed from San Diego from the 1900s. Today, tuna means a large fast-swimming fish.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient thynnos "tunny", the tunny fish.
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient thunnus "tunny", the tunny.
3. Stage 3 · Arabic · medieval tūn "tunny", taken from Latin in the Mediterranean.
4. Stage 4 · Spanish · medieval atún "tuna", from Arabic, with the article 'al-' fused on.
5. Stage 5 · American English · 1880s tuna "tuna", Californian fishermen took the name from Spanish; canned tuna boomed from San Diego from the 1900s.