Bengali edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

Semi-learned borrowing from Sanskrit इलीश (ilīśa), a compound of इल् (il, to go, move) +‎ ईश (īśa, lord, master, chief), literally meaning "the chief of those which move (in water)", referring to the perceived taste of the fish.[1] The first element is from Proto-Indo-European *h₁elh₂- (to drive, move, go) (compare Ancient Greek ἐλαύνω (elaúnō, to drive), Latin alacer (lively, active, brisk), Irish élaim (flee), Proto-Germanic *alaną (to spurn, drive), *lanō (lane)).[2]

Pronunciation edit

  • (Rarh) IPA(key): /iliʃ/, [ˈiliʃ]
    (file)
  • (Dhaka) IPA(key): /iliʃ/, [ˈiliʃ]
    (file)

Noun edit

ইলিশ (iliś)

  1. hilsa

References edit

  1. ^ দাস, জ্ঞানেন্দ্রমোহন (1937) “ইলিশ”, in Dictionary of the Bengali Language (Self-pronouncing, Etymological & Explanatory) with Appendices (in Bengali), 2nd edition, কলিকাতা: দি ইণ্ডিয়ান্ পাব্‌লিশিং হাউস, page 282
  2. ^ Mallory, J. P., Adams, D. Q., editors (1997), Encyclopedia of Indo-European culture, London, Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, page 228