Late 17th century. Origin uncertain; perhaps from Marathi māsḷī or Konkani māsḷī fish, via Telugu and Tamil pronunciation. The -la form may represent an inferred singular based on such Europeanized forms as Portuguese maçules (plural, 1580) and Italian masudi (plural, 1582 in C. Federici Raccolta Viaggi (whence the English form Masady in the translation by T. Hiscock); probably an error for *masuli).