Nishikigoi
/ˌniːʃiːkiˈɡɔɪ/noun
A domesticated ornamental carp bred in Japan for its distinctive colors and patterns.
Did you know?Nishikigoi emerged in nineteenth-century Niigata, where farmers selectively bred colorful carp until patterns resembling silk brocade became prized symbols of beauty, status, and fortune.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Old Chinese
錦
“A richly patterned, multicolored woven textile—brocade”
Ancient Japan
Japanese
nishiki
“Brocade or a brilliantly patterned fabric, borrowed from Sino-Japanese vocabulary”
Old Japanese
Japanese
koi
“Carp”
19th Century
Japanese
irogoi
““Colored carp,” an early term for selectively bred ornamental carp”
Late 19th–Early 20th Century
Japanese
nishikigoi
““Brocade carp,” the name associated with the highly patterned ornamental varieties”
Modern English
English
nishikigoi
“A Japanese ornamental carp, especially one bred for vivid coloration and elaborate patterns”