English
tench
Tench comes from Old French tenche ‘tench (fish)’, and goes back to Late Latin tinca.
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEtinca‘a small fish, the tench’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400tenche‘tench (fish)’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘the tench (Tinca tinca) or a similar fish’
- Englishtodaytench
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEtinca‘a small fish, the tench’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400tenche‘tench (fish)’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘the tench (Tinca tinca) or a similar fish’
- Englishtodaytench
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *teh₂- ‘to dissolve, melt’
Today it means
noun A species of freshwater game fish, Tinca tinca.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Late Latin tinca / tench