Roach Is a Fish, a Shortened Cockroach, and a Sail Curve
A roach is a European freshwater fish. In American English it is also a shortening of cockroach, from a Spanish word.
A roach is a common European freshwater fish of the carp family, and in American English a shortening of *cockroach*. The insect name is a folk reshaping: Spanish *cucaracha* sounded unfamiliar to English ears, so it was heard as *cock* plus *roach*, two words already in the language. Americans then shortened it back to *roach*, cutting off a piece that was never there. In sailing, the roach is the curved edge of a sail beyond the straight line between corners.
- A freshwater fish. *Caught a roach.*
- A cockroach (US). *A roach in the kitchen.*
- A sail's curved edge. *The roach of the sail.*
- Cucaracha — the Spanish original. *Cucaracha.*
- Old French — *roche*. *The fish source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | roach | A roach. |
| Plural | roach / roaches | Roaches. |
| Full form | cockroach | Cockroach. |
| Spanish | cucaracha | Cockroach. |
| Sailing | roach | Sail roach. |
- Anglers fish for roach in slow rivers.Fish.
- There was a roach behind the fridge.Insect.
- Cucaracha became cockroach.Etymology.
Words reshaped to sound familiar
- Cockroach — from Spanish *cucaracha*
- Crayfish — from French *écrevisse*, nothing to do with fish
- Sparrowgrass — an old folk form of asparagus
- Bridegroom — from Old English *guma*, a man, reshaped as groom
- Hangnail — from *angnail*, a painful nail, not from hanging
The fish is from Old French *roche*. The insect is a shortening of *cockroach*, itself a reshaping of Spanish *cucaracha*.
Is a roach the same as a cockroach?
In American English yes, as a shortening. In Britain roach usually means the freshwater fish.
Where does cockroach come from?
From Spanish cucaracha, reshaped by English speakers into two familiar-sounding words, cock and roach.