walvis

See also: Walvis

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch walvis, from Middle Dutch walvisch, from Old Dutch walvisk, a compound of *wal (“whale”) +‎ fisk (“fish”), presumably to clarify the meaning.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /val.fəs/

Noun

walvis (plural walvisse, diminutive walvissie)

whale (marine mammal)

Dutch

Dutch whalers near Spitsbergen (Abraham Storck, 1690)

Etymology

From Middle Dutch walvisch, from Old Dutch walvisk, from *wal (“whale”), presumably to clarify the meaning. Equivalent to wal (“whale”) +‎ vis (“fish”). Old Dutch *wal is from Proto-Germanic *hwalaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kʷálos (“sheatfish”). See also waldier, walrus, grindewal.

Cognate with West Frisian walfisk, German Walfisch. The simple form is cognate with German Wal, English whale, Danish hval, Swedish val.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈʋɑl.vɪs/
audio (file)
Hyphenation: wal‧vis

Noun

walvis m (plural walvissen, diminutive walvisje n)

whale, mammal of the order Cetacea

Derived terms

baleinwalvis
tandwalvis
walvisjacht
walvisvaart

Descendants

Afrikaans: walvis