[Alteration of earlier caviarie (probably from obsolete Italian caviari, pl. of caviaro) or from French caviare, both from Turkish havyar, from Persian khāviyār, probably from a Caspian Iranian dialect variant of Persian khāya-dār, egg-holding (as in māhī-i khāya-dār, egg-holding fish) : khāya, egg (from Middle Persian xāyag; see awi- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots) + -dār, holder; see ZAMINDAR.]