September is Etymology Month (26)

ТРЕСКА [ treská] 'cod'. Early 17th century in this meaning. Possibly from 11th-century meaning 'splinter'. cf. earlier рыба-щёпка 'cod', lit. 'splinter-fish', analogous to Ger. Stockfisch 'cod', lit. 'stick-fish'. Perhaps from the fish's tendency to shred into fibres, like wood, during the drying process (cf. трескаться 'to crack'). Alternatively, cognate with Ger. Dorsch 'cod' (cf. Dan. Torsk, id.), from dürr 'dry, dried out' (Dorsch is properly Dörrfisch from dörren 'to dry, bake'), thus lit. 'dried smoked fish'. Cf. IE *ters- 'to rub, dry'.