Etymology

fisher

F4I1S1H4E1R1

Today it means: A person who catches fish, especially for a living or for sport; a person engaging in the pastime of fishing. Full definition →

Middle English fischer ← Old English fisċere ← Proto-Germanic *fiskārijaz
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fisher · noun1

  1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*fiskārijaz“fisher”
  2. Old English · inherited fromfisċere“fisher”
  3. Middle English · inherited fromfischer
  4. English todayfisher

From Middle English fischer, fischare, from Old English fisċere (“fisher”), from Proto-Germanic *fiskārijaz (“fisher”), equivalent to fish + -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Fisker (“fisher”), West Frisian fisker (“fisher”), Dutch visser (“fisher”), German Low German Fisker, Fisser (“fisher”), German Fischer (“fisher”), Danish fisker (“fisher”), Swedish fiskare (“fisher”).

fisher · noun2

  1. Dutch · derived fromvisse“nasty”
  2. French · borrowed fromfichet“polecat pelt”
  3. English todayfisher

From French fichet (“polecat pelt”), probably from Dutch visse (“nasty”); modified by folk etymology to resemble Etymology 1.

Fisher · proper noun3

From fisher (“fisherman”). Doublet of Fisker and Fischer.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.