† pessonern.

Etymology: < Anglo-Norman pessoner, pessonere, pessonur, pessouner, pessuner, peissoner, peissonier, peissonir, pesshoner, pissoner fishmonger (compare Old French, Middle French, French poissonnier (c1215)), fisher (15th cent. in an isolated attestation) < Anglo-Norman pessun , peisshun , peissoun , etc., fish (compare Old French, Middle French, French poisson (c980 as pescion )) + -er -er suffix². Old French, Middle French, French poisson is < Old French peis (c1272 in a text showing Italian influence, otherwise attested only as the second element in compounds as -peis , -pois (in porpeis , porpois porpoise n. and graspeis , graspois grapeys n.); < classical Latin piscis fish (see Pisces n. and adj.) + -on , diminutive suffix (compare -oon suffix). Compare post-classical Latin pessunerius, pessunarius fishmonger (c1190, a1200 respectively in British sources; in some uses apparently as surname), Old Occitan, Occitan peissonier (1270 in a Gascon source as peisoneir), Catalan †peyxoner (1264).With Anglo-Norman pessun and Old French poisson compare Old Occitan, Occitan peisson , peisso , Occitan peisson fish (c1150), Catalan†pexó fish (13th cent.), Italian pescione big fish (a1381 or earlier), Portuguese peixon big fish (1275 as peyxom ). With Old French -peis , -pois compare Old Occitan, Occitan peis , Catalan peix (a1252), Spanish pez (first half of 13th cent. or earlier), Portuguese peixe (13th cent.), Italian pesce (a1250). With sense 2 compare Anglo-Norman vesseau pessoner fishing vessel (a1325) and nief poissonières small ships (1346 in a Middle French text citing an Anglo-Norman source). Attested earliest as a surname, although it is unclear whether this should be interpreted as reflecting the Middle English or the Anglo-Norman word: Ailmer le Pessuner (1208), Eylwaker le Pesoner (1252), Henry le Pessoner (1265). It is also unclear whether early examples of sense 1 such as the following are to be interpreted as Middle English or Anglo-Norman:1292 in R. R. Sharpe Cal. Wills Court of Husting (1889) I. 106 [Pikeman, Adam], pessoner.1310 in R. R. Sharpe Cal. Let.-bks. London (1902) D. 45 [John Gerard de Leuesham], pesshoner, [admitted].1332 Subsidy Roll, London in G. Unwin Finance & Trade Edward III (1918) 83 Thomas atte Lose, Pessoner.1397 Inquisition Misc. (P.R.O.: C 145/262/8) Willelmus Hampteshire de Magna Merlawe pessoner voluntarie seipsum submersit. It is also unclear whether the following earlier example of use of the word in sense 2 should be interpreted as Middle English or Anglo-Norman:1341 in A. Clarke & F. Holbrooke Rymer & Sanderson's Fœdera (1821) II. ii. 1156 Centum naves, vocatæ pessoners & creyers, & aliæ minutæ naves.