Gourami

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɡʊˈrɑːmi/

Definitions

1. A type of freshwater fish from the family Osphronemidae, recognized for its colorful appearance and unique body shape, that relies on a specialized organ to breathe air in low-oxygen environments
2. This species of freshwater fish, often popular in aquariums, is notable for its striking colors and flattened body, as well as its ability to extract oxygen from air using a specialized organ
3. A freshwater fish belonging to the family Osphronemidae, known for its vibrant colors and distinctive flattened shape, which possesses a unique adaptation to breathe air when oxygen levels are low

Etymology: The fish's name travelled a long way before it reached English. The Javanese word "gurami" was adopted into Malay, and from there French took it as "gourami," so English speakers received it through a French intermediary rather than directly from the Southeast Asian languages where it grew up. The French form was probably the channel through which European naturalists and aquarium hobbyists first encountered the fish, which is why the spelling and pronunciation in English still carry a faint French shape. The word is a loanword, so it carries no Greek or Latin roots; its story is entirely one of trade and borrowing across the Indian Ocean and into Europe. Its meaning stayed fixed on one species of fish and its relatives, rather than drifting into anything figurative.