Etymology of the Whale

Herman Melville's "etymology" - he might more accurately have called it "translations" - is now being updated here. As language, at least since the fall of the Tower of Babel, has become so entwined with notions of national identity and the hopelessly misunderstood concept of sovereignty, it is anticipated that certain entries may still be the cause of a little heated debate. This humble sub - sub - webmsaster makes no claim to be a great authority on global linguistics but is happy to learn from those professors of languages - the people who speak them. So, if you have any additions or corrections, please email.

(Those noted by Melville are marked with an asterix*)

|n,*                    Hebrew
Balaena , Cetus,*       Latin
                        (hence "cetology" - the study of whales) 
kpTos,*                 Greek (from "XnTos"  - sea monster)
Kit,                    Serbo-Croat
Kit,                    Slovenian
Kit,                    Bulgarian
Kit,                    Russian
Kyt,                    Ukranian
Banginis,               Lithuanian
Vaal,                   Estonian
Valas,                  Finnish
Hwal,* Hval,            Swedish                        
Hvalr,                  Old Norse                      
Hval,                   Norwegian
Hval,*                  Danish
Hvalur,*                Icelandic
Hwal,                   Old Saxon                      
Whæl,*                  Anglo-Saxon
Whaal/e,                Scottish, Orkney	       
hwael,                  Old English                    
Whal,                   Middle English                 
Whale,*                 English                        
Wal, Wael,              Medieval Dutch		       
Wal,* Walvis,           Dutch			       
Wal Wâlira, Walvisc,	Old/ Middle High German	       		
Wal, Walfisch,          German			       
Wieloryb,               Polish
Velryba,                Czech
Balena,                 Italian
Balina,                 Turkish
Balena,                 Romanian
Ba'lna,                 Hungarian
Baleia,                 Portuguese
Baleno,                 Esperanto
Ballena,*               Spanish
Balea,                  Basque
Balena,                 Catalan
Baleine,*               French
Balen / Morvil          Breton
Morvyl,                 Cornish
Morfil,                 Welsh
Mór (masc); Míol,       Irish
Muc-mhara,              Gaelic

Ofiom,                  Ibibio
Nyangumi,               Swahili
Umnenga,                Xhosa
Umkhomo,                Zulu
Leruarua,               Tswana
Walvis,                 Afrikaans

Ikan Paus,              Indonesian
Pekee-Nuee-Nuee,*       Fegee
Pehee-Nuee-Nuee,*       Erromangoan
Kujira,                 Japanese
Go Re                   Korean

Selected Bibliography: The Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition, Oxford, 1989, (J.A. Simpson & E.S.C.Weiner). Origins, An Etymological Dictionary of Modern English, Eric Partridge, London, Routledge, 1958. MacAlpine's Pronouncing Gaelic Dictionary, Glasgow, Alexander Maclaren, 1832 (1957 edition). English - Latin Dictionary, W. Smith & T.D. Hall, 1870 (printed: Clowes, London).

Thanks to Martin Srebotnjak, Slovenia, whose contribution suggested this page, and for kind assistance: Utoko Soedarmo, Jakarta, Indonesia; Elfrede Reynders, Antwerpen, Belgium; Andrew Oduor, Kenya; Magda Maria Mendlikovska Poznan, Poland; Monika Chodzynska, Katowice, Poland; Ibrahim Erdagon, Kutahya, Turkey; Amparo Asensio Martinez, Valencia, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain; Rauno Lauhakangas, Helsinki, Finland. Linda Leivseth, Bodø, Norway, Inna Pidluska, Kiev, Ukraine; Akiko Matsumoto, Fukuoka, Japan; Mr P. Gouez, Swansea, Wales; Soon Hee Lee, Seoul, South Korea; Sabelo Ndabazandile, Cape Town, South Africa; Maropeng Modiba, Kagiso, South Africa; Mariana Chioncel, Bucharest, Romania; Wandile Goba, Johannesburg, South Africa; Josephine Ndaba, Gabarone, Botswana; Uwem Ite, Uyo, Nigeria.

Sightings of Whales in Literature

The Great Grey Whale (contents page)

The Whale Pages

Andrew L. Graham, asi00@keele.ac.uk