Something Fishy Going On
There are two prominent word parts to help us
construct words about fishing. One comes to us from the Greek, and the other
from Latin.
Let’s start with the Greek term, icthus. Icthyology
is the branch of zoology that studies fish, and a person who does that is an
ichthyologist. If you like to eat fish, you are icthyophagous. If you like to
write about fish, you are an icthyographer. Centuries ago, people who tried to
foretell the future by studying fish entrails were engaged in icthyomancy.
Now if all of this sounds too esoteric, let’s remind
ourselves that we are dealing with the word icthus every time we see a bumper
sticker on a car that depicts the outline of a fish. It’s a proclamation by the
car owner that he or she is a practicing Christian. The fish is an ancient
symbol of Christianity, and there’s a good reason for that. Icthus is an acronym for a phrase in Greek.
In other words, each letter stands for an entire word. The Greek phrase, to get
it quickly out of the way, is Iesus Xristos theou ‘uios soter, and that means
Jesus Christ, son of God, savior. So the next time you see that bumper sticker,
know that you are being exposed to a Greek word part.
The Latin root that helps form fish terms in English
is spelled p-i-s-c, and it comes from the Latin word meaning fish—piscis. There
is a sign of the zodiac called Pisces, and no surprise, its symbol is a fish.
Piscatology is the practice or study of fishing. If it’s your hobby, you are a
piscatologist, and you engage in piscatorial pursuits. If you fish using sticks
of dynamite, you are committing piscicide, the slaughter of fish. Fish farming
is called pisciculture, and if you enjoy eating fish, you are a piscivore.
Something shaped like a fish is pisciform. On the negative side, the smell of
rotting fish is called pisculence.
Even if fishing isn’t your hobby, you are frequently
going to run across similes and metaphors based on fish and fishing. Let’s just
quickly review a few:
·
I’m like a
fish out of water
·
Stop fishing
for compliments
·
She’s a big
fish in a small pond
·
My uncle
drinks like a fish
·
That’s just like
shooting fish in a barrel
·
There are
plenty of other fish in the sea.
·
He’s just
trying to bait you.
·
The police
finally netted the bank robber.
·
They fooled
you hook, line, and sinker.
·
You’d better
fish or cut bait.
·
Don’t let
them lure you into buying a cheap suit.
·
Well, that’s
a fine kettle of fish!
·
Don’t be a
cold fish – smile!
·
He’s as
slippery as an eel.
Let’s
end with a quote from Maimonides, a medieval philosopher:
Give a man a fish, and you feed him
for a day; teach a man how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.
Listen to Mike’s program in real
time every Tuesday morning, 9:10 - 10:00 a.m. EST, by going to wtcmradio.com
and clicking on Listen Now. You’ll
also find some podcasts there under TheRon Jolly Show.
Comments