Etymology
The origin of the name of the dish is also disputed. One hypothesis suggests the common Spanish word for the dish, cebiche, has its origin in the Latin word cibus, which translates to English as "food for men and animals." Another hypothesis, supported by the Royal Spanish Academy, is the name might derive from the Spanish-Arabic word assukkabáǧ, which itself derives from the Arabic word sakbāj (سكباج meaning: meat cooked in vinegar). Further hypotheses base the origin of the term on escabeche, Spanish for pickle, or it is simply a variation of the word siwichi, the traditional Quechua name for the dish.
The name of the dish may be spelled variously as cebiche, ceviche, or seviche based on location; all three spelling variations are accepted by the Royal Spanish Academy, the official institution responsible for regulating the Spanish language. Despite this, other local terms, such as cerbiche and serviche, are still used as variations to name the dish.
Read more about this topic: Ceviche
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