An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Fisch

by Friedrich Kluge

Fisch, m., ‘fish,’ from the equiv. MidHG. visch, OHG. fisk, m.; a common Teut. term; comp. Goth. fisks, OIc. fiskr, AS. fisc, E. fish, Du. visch, OSax. fisc. Teut. fiska-z, from pre-Teut. pisko-s, corresponds to Lat. piscis and OIr. iasc (with the normal loss of p from prehistoric peiskos). The word belongs to the three most western groups of the Aryan division, which have also the word Meer in common; in East Aryan matsya. Further, there are no names of fishes common to Teut. and Lat.-Kelt. Perhaps the term was a migratory word of early civilization, the source of which cannot be discovered.