some Ballyhoo (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Douglas G. Wilson]

Partridge claims that "ballyhoo" is an
abbreviation of "ballyhooly". This could be
either a 'fanciful coinage' or some sort of
oblique reference to the place in Ireland, or whatever.

The modern "ballyhoo" may not be etymologically a
direct descendent of earlier "ballyhoo" referring
to a fish and to a type of ship. The exact form
of the early "ballyhoo" may reflect the Irish
"Ballyhooly", but the word is apparently from Spanish (say the books).

 From Google Books: the early term "balahu"/"balaju" (ship type) in Spanish:

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_Diccionario Mari'timo Espan~ol_ (Imprenta Real, Madrid, 1831): p. 73:

<<BALAHU', s.m. _A. N._ [apparently =
"arquitectura naval" --DW] Especie de goleta
americana comun en las Antillas. = Fr. _Balaou_.
// Buque pequen~o que se usa en las costas de
Vizcaya, segun alguno de los diccionarios que se
han tenido a' la vista. _Nota._ Es de advertir
que aspirando la _h_, es muy comun el pronunciar
_balaju'_, cuando se habla de estas embarcaciones.>>

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This may be ultimately French. I find "balaou"
referring to a type of fish from 1724 in French.
I don't know the ultimate etymology of the fish
name. It would seem that the ship type may have been named after the fish:

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http://www.mandragore2.net/dico/lexique2/lexique2.php?page=b

<<Balaou : Petite goélette d'environ 25 m, à
mâture très élevée et inclinée vers l'arrière,
construite depuis le XVIIIe siècle dans les îles
et sur les côtes de la mer des Antilles. Aussi
rapide que le poisson dont elle tire son nom,
elle était très appréciée par les contrebandiers.>>

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-- Doug Wilson


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