Piscary
/ˈpɪskəri/noun
A legal right or privilege to catch fish in a particular river, lake, or stretch of water.
Did you know?In medieval and early modern law, a piscary could be attached to an estate and treated as valuable property, making access to fish a matter of legal power rather than simple recreation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peisk-
“Reconstructed root meaning “fish”; the exact form is uncertain.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ikhthýs
“Fish; Greek preserves a different Indo-European fish term, while the *peisk- root is chiefly reflected in Latin and Germanic.”
Classical Latin
Latin
piscis
“Fish.”
Late Latin
Latin
piscārius
“Of or relating to fish; a fishery or fishing-related matter.”
Medieval Latin
Medieval Latin
piscāria
“A fishery or a right to fish.”
16th Century
English
piscary
“A legal right or privilege of fishing in specified waters.”
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