calamari
UK[ˌkæləˈmɑːri]US[ˌkɑːləˈmɑːri]
n
squid served as food, often cut into rings, coated in batter, and fried.
Etymology
the english word 'calamari' is a direct borrowing from the italian 'calamari', which is the plural form of 'calamaro', meaning 'squid'. the italian term itself derives from the late latin 'calamarium', meaning 'ink pot' or 'pen case', which in turn comes from the latin 'calamus', meaning 'reed' or 'pen'. this semantic connection likely arose from the squid's internal shell, called a pen, which resembles a reed or quill, and from its ink sac, which historically was used as writing ink. thus, the modern culinary term for prepared squid retains a poetic link to ancient writing instruments through its etymological journey from latin to italian and into english.
Analysis
the word is a loanword borrowed as a whole unit from italian. it is not productively segmented using english morphemes.
Examples
we ordered a plate of crispy calamari with lemon aioli as an appetizer.
the restaurant is famous for its lightly fried calamari, which is always tender and never rubbery.
for the seafood pasta, they use fresh calamari instead of the frozen rings.