Etymology

matjes herring

Today it means: Young filleted herring that has been matured for a short time in brine and prepared traditionally with vinegar, sugar, salt, and spices. Full definition →

Dutch maatjesharing
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The story

  1. Dutch · derived frommaatjesharing“matjes herring”
  2. English todaymatjes herring

From Dutch maatjesharing (“matjes herring”), from maatjes (“young, small”) + haring (“herring”), from earlier forms maetgens-, maeghdekins-, medykens- (“maiden-like”), from maagd (“maiden”) + -kin (“-kin”), so called because matjes herring is made of young herring that has never spawned.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.