Maskinonge

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A large predatory freshwater fish of North America, closely related to the pike and prized by anglers for its size and fighting strength
2. The big toothy game fish of northern lakes and rivers in North America, a relative of the pike that grows to great lengths
3. A North American freshwater predator in the pike family, valued by sport fishermen for its enormous size and aggressive bite

Etymology: The fish's name is a jumble of languages that began with a folk-etymology mix-up. The Ojibwe name "maashkinoozhe" meant roughly "ugly pike," and Algonquin speakers used forms like "maskinunga" for the same fish. French speakers who encountered the name then reshaped it into something they could make sense of: "masque allongé," meaning "long mask." The fish's long, narrow snout and sharp teeth made the French phrase seem like a fitting description, so the borrowed name gained a meaning it never had in its original language. Over time the spelling drifted further from its source. The form "muskellunge" came into use, and it was later reshaped in English by people who heard German words in it, "Muskel" (muscle) and "Lunge" (lung). That connection is a false one, and the source confirms the German words have nothing to do with the fish's name. "Maskinonge" is a spelling variant of the same word, used in English as an alternative form.

Synonyms: muskellunge, muskie, musky