gurnard, gurnet
(ˈgɜːnəd, ˈgɜːnɪt)
Forms: α. 4– gurnard; also 5 gurnade, 5–6 gornard(e, 6 gurnerd, -arde, 6–7 gournard(e, 8 gronnard. β. 7 gournet, -it, 7, 9 gurnet, 8 Sc. girnot, 9 gurnett.
[Prob. a. some variant of F. grognard grumbler (13th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), f. grogner to grunt (see groin v.1); of cognate etymology are OF. gournaux pl. (1320 Du Cange s.v. Gornus) early mod.F. grougnaut, gronau, gournauld, gourneau (Cotgr., who gives the two first as ‘Languedoc’), and perh. F. grenaut ‘some large-headed fish’ (Littré). For the sense cf. F. grondin gurnard, f. gronder to grunt; also G. knurrhahn, knurrfisch gurnard, f. knurren to grumble.]
1. One of the marine fishes of the genus Trigla or family Triglidæ, characterized by a large spiny head with mailed cheeks and three free pectoral rays.
The chief species are distinguished respectively as grey gurnard, red gurnard (otherwise cuckoo-gurnard), lineated gurnard, streaked gurnard, French gurnard (or rock-gurnard), sapphirine gurnard, and shining gurnard (or long-finned gurnard) gurnard.
| α 1314 in Wardr. Acc. Edw. II, 21/12, 4 gurnards, 12d. 14.. Ordin. & Reg. Roy. Househ. (1790) 449 Therwith brem de mere, and gurnade, and crabbes, and crevyse. 1467 Mann. & Househ. Exp. (Roxb.) 391 Davy..seithe he paid.. for a gurnard, iiij.d. a 1500 Piers of Fullham 18 in Hazl. E.P.P. II. 3 In stede of sturgen or lamprons, he drawyth vp a gurnerd or gogeons. c 1532 G. Du Wes Introd. Fr. in Palsgr. 913 Gournardes, tumbes. 1620 Venner Via Recta iv. 73 The Gurnard..some are red, and some grey. a 1672 Willughby Icthyogr. (1686) Table S 2 Cuculus griseus, gray Gurnard. Ibid., Cuculus Salv., Red Gurnard or Rochet. 1694 Falle Jersey ii. 76 Another [fish] of a perfect blood Colour, with a Head and Throat almost as big as the rest of the Body; our Fishermen call it Gronnard, from the grunting Noise it makes. 1769 De Foe's Tour Gt. Brit. III. 341 The Gronnard is so called from its grunting Noise, when taken. 1836 Yarrell Brit. Fishes I. 40 The trivial names of cuculus and Cuckoo Gurnard are said to have been appropriated to this species [Trigla cuculus] on account of the similarity of the sound which issues from this fish, when taken out of the waters, to the note of the well-known bird. Ibid. 41 The Sapphirine Gurnard. Trigla hirundo. Ibid. 46 The Streaked Gurnard, French Gurnard, and Rock Gurnard. Trigla lineata. 1849 Kingsley N. Devon Misc. II. 278 To dine off gurnards of my own catching—excellent fish, despised by deluded Cockneys. 1895 ‘J. Bickerdyke’ Sea Fishing xiii. 413 Grey Gurnard, or Hard-heads (Trigla gurnardus). 1898 Morris Austral Eng. s.v., The original word Gurnard is retained in New Zealand, and applied to the new species Trigla kumu. |
| β 1611 Florio, Grincio..a Gournet, a Rotchet, or red fish. 1615 Markham Eng. Housew. (1660) 67 Thus may you..stew Roches, Gurnets, or almost any sea fish or fresh fish. 1682 Wheler Journ. Greece iv. 292 Barbouni, which I take to be the same with our Gournits. 1795 Statist. Acc. Scotl., Argylesh. XIV. 175 Laith, codling, seth, girnot, rock-fish. 1838 Dr. Johnston in Proc. Berw. Nat. Club I. No. 6. 170 The Gurnett or Crooner. 1843 Q. Rev. Sept. 477 Turbot, cod, ling..gurnet..and shad, abound on the coasts of Clare. |
† b. soused gurnet: a term of opprobrium.
gurnet's head: used allusively with reference to the disproportionate size of the fish's head.
Obs.| 1596 Shakes. Hen. IV, iv. ii. 12 If I be not asham'd of my Souldiers, I am a sowc't-Gurnet. 1599 Marston Sco. Villanie ii. vi. 200 His guts are in his braines, huge Iobbernoule, Right Gurnets-head, the rest without a soule. 1606 Wily Beguiled Prol. A 2 b, Out, you soust gurnet. |
2. Applied, with qualifications, to certain allied genera.
a. yellow gurnard, the gemmeous dragonet,
Callionymus lyra.
b. bearded g., the red mullet,
Mullus barbatus.
c. mailed gurnard or
armed g., a fish of the family Peristediidæ.
d. flying g., a flying fish of the family Cephalancanthidæ or Dactylopteridæ: see also
quots. 1882 and 1898.
| 1704 Tyson in Phil. Trans. XXIV. 1749, I shall take Liberty to call it the Yellow Gurnard. Ibid. 1750 In the hinder Fin of the Back of the Yellow Gurnard there were nine Radij; in the Red Gurnard fourteen. 1802–3 tr. Pallas's Trav. (1812) II. 463 The bearded gurnard. 1836 Yarrell Brit. Fishes I. 67 Armed Gurnard, Mailed Gurnard, Malarmat, Peristedion Malarmat. Ibid. I. 297 Yellow Gurnard. 1882 Ogilvie, s.v., The flying gurnard is the T[rigla] volitans, which inhabits the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Indian seas. 1898 Morris Austral Eng. s.v., The Flying Gurnet is Trigla polyommata..family Cottidæ. |