sardine

Sardine comes from French sardine, related to Spanish sardina and Italian sardina, from Latin sardīna, itself from Ancient Greek σαρδίνη (sardínē).

Pliny thought the word traced back to Sardis, in Lydia, where the reddish gemstone sard was first found, though it may instead come from Persian sered, meaning 'yellowish-red' — either way, a color or place name possibly settling onto a fish.

The facts point to a possible shared root with 'sard,' the reddish-orange gemstone once linked to Sardis.