Plural of capelan, small fish similar to smelt found in Atlantic waters, often used as food or bait.
From French 'capelan,' possibly from Basque 'kaperla' or related to Old Norse origins. The word entered European languages through fishing communities in the North Atlantic during medieval times.
Capelans were so abundant in colonial Newfoundland that they were used not just for food, but as fertilizer for crops—entire economies of fishing villages depended on their annual runs!
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