Herring
/ˈhɛr.ɪŋ/noun
A common small silvery fish of the North Atlantic, widely used as food.
Did you know?English herring comes from a Germanic root related to a large group or host, which may reflect the fish’s habit of moving in massive schools.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*hēringaz
“herring”
Old English
OE
hǣring
“herring”
Old High German
OHG
hāring
“herring”
Old Norse
ON
hæringr
“herring”
Middle English
ME
herring
“herring”
Modern English
English
herring
“a small schooling fish”