The term “sardine” in its modern definition can be traced back to a 1430s cookbook, where it was spelled as “sardeyn.” Various spellings such as “sardyn, sardane, sardin, sardino, sirdena,” and “sardina” were used around that time, with the current form becoming widely accepted in the late eighteenth century. Derived from Latin “sardina” and Ancient Greek “sardinos,” the word likely originated from the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, where the fish was exported. The name “sardinos” can be traced back to a Phoenecian inscription from the 9th century BCE, where it was referred to as “Shardan.” The popular expression “packed like sardines” first emerged in 1911.
