ёрш

Possibly from Proto-Slavic *jerъxь (“something thorny, jagged”), from *(j)erъx-.

Per Vasmer, the original meaning (still found dialectally) was "jagged nail". In the contemporary sense attested since late 15th century.

Cognate with Ukrainian йорж (jorž, “ruffe”). Compare also Russian еро́шить (jeróšitʹ, “to ruffle”), Russian еро́ховый (jeróxovyj, “branchy, gnarly”) (about a tree or wood, dialectal), Lithuanian erškė̃tis, Latvian ẽršk̨is (“thorn”).

• IPA^(key): [jɵrʂ]

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ёрш • (jorš) m anim or m inan (genitive ерша́, nominative plural ерши́, genitive plural ерше́й, diminutive ёршик)

1. ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernua syn. Acerina cernua)
2. bristle brush, bottle brush
3. go-devil
4. mixture of vodka and beer

• ерши́ться impf (jeršítʹsja)
• ерши́стый (jeršístyj)

• еро́шить impf (jeróšitʹ), взъеро́шить pf (vzʺjeróšitʹ)

• → Ingrian: joršši
• → Kildin Sami: ёаҏҏьш (jår̥r̥’š)

• Kiparsky, Valentin (1975) Russische historische Grammatik. Band III: Entwicklung des Wortschatzes (in German), Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 171
• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “ерш”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress