a fish abundant in all Australasian waters, Pagrus unicolor,Cuv. and Val. The latter spelling was the original form ofthe word (one that snaps). It was gradually changed by thefishermen, perhaps of Dutch origin, to Schnapper, theform now general. The name Snapper is older than thesettlement of Australia, but it is not used for the same fish.`O.E.D.,' s.v. Cavally, quotes:
1657. R. Ligon, `Barbadoes,' p. 12:
«Fish . . . of various kinds . . . Snappers, grey and red; Cavallos, Carpians, etc.»
The young are called Cock-schnapper (q.v.); at a yearold they are called Red-Bream; at two years old, Squire; at three, School-Schnapper; when theycease to «school» and swim solitary they are called Natives and Rock-Natives. Being the standard bywhich the «catch» is measured, the full-grown Schnappersare also called Count-fish (q.v.). In New Zealand,the Tamure (q.v.) is also called Schnapper,and the name Red-Schnapper is given to Anthiasrichardsoni, Gunth., or Scorpis hectori, Hutton.See quotation, 1882.
1827. P. Cunningham, `Two Years in New South Wales,' vol. i.p. 68:
«King-fish, mullet, mackarel, rockcod, whiting, snapper, bream,flatheads, and various other descriptions of fishes, are allfound plentifully about.»
1846. J. L. Stokes, `Discoveries in Australia,' vol. i.p. 261:
«The kangaroos are numerous and large, and the finest snappersI have ever heard of are caught off this point, weighingsometimes as much as thirty pounds.»
[The point referred to is that now called Schnapper Point, at
Mornington, in Victoria.]
1882. Rev. J. E. Tenison-Woods, `Fish of New South Wales,'p. 39:
«The genus Pagrus, or as we term it in the vernacular,`schnapper,' a word of Dutch origin . . . The schnapper orsnapper. The schnapper ( Pagrus unicolor, Cuv. and Val.)is the most valuable of Australian fishes, not for its superiorexcellence . . . but for the abundant and regular supply . . .At a still greater age the schnapper seems to cease to schooland becomes what is known as the `native' and `rock-native,'a solitary and sometimes enormously large fish.»
1896 `The Australasian,' Aug. 28, p. 407, col. 5:
«The fish, snapper, is so called because it snapped. Thespelling with `ch' is a curious after-thought, suggestive ofalcohol. The name cannot come from schnapps.»
n. a fish; the smallest kind of Schnapper (q.v.). See also Count-fish. 1882. Rev. I. E. Tenison-Wo...
Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris
Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris