Etymology Dictionary

JOHN DORY,  the name of a fish.  (F.,—L.)   John Dory is the vulgar name of the fish also called the dory.   It occurs in Todd's Johnson, spelt John Dory, dory, and doree.   1. Dory or doree is merely borrowed from the F. dorée, the vulgar F. name of the fish, signifying 'golden' or 'gilded,' from its yellow colour.   Dorée is the fem. of the pp. of the verb dorer, to gild.—Lat. deaurare, to gild, lit. 'cover with gold.'—Lat. de, prep. of, with; and aurum, gold.   See Aureate.   2. The prefix John is probably a mere sailor's expletive, and nothing but the ordinary name; cf. jack-ass.   It is usually explained as a corruption of F. jaune, yellow; but there is no reason why Englishmen should have prefixed this F. epithet, nor why Frenchmen should use such a tautological expression as jaune dorée.   This suggested corruption is not 'a well-known fact,' but given as a mere guess in Todd's Johnson. [†]

ADDENDA

On what authority the statement rests that this fish is called janitore in Venice (see Palmer, Folk-Etymology), I know not.   If it be true, it has still nothing to do with the E. name, as asserted by some.   We already find, says Mr. Palmer, the following mention of the dory in pt. iii. l. 561 of the De Laudibus Divinæ Sapientiæ of Alexander Neckam, who died in 1217:  'Gustum doreæ quæ nomen sumpsit ab auro.'   This is conclusive.   We find mention of 'the goldfish or doree' in Holland, tr. of Pliny (1634), b. xxxii. c. 11; 'Dorrey, a see fysshe,' in Palsgrave (1530); also the Anglo-F. dore, a dory, in the Liber Albus, p. 234, and Low Lat. doracus in the Gloss. to the Liber Custumarum.   For the etymology of John, see Zany.