sleepmarken

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English

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Etymology

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Unknown. Likely from Norwegian slepe (drag) + mark (worm). Attested from circa 1762; see quotations below.

Noun

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sleepmarken

  1. (uncommon) A hagfish, an eel-like marine fish, Myxine glutinosa.
    • 1762 October 9, Johan Ernst Gunnerus, “Letter addressed to Carl Linnaeus”, in The Linnaean Correspondence[1], retrieved 4 January 2018:
      3. Myxine glutinosa ["slepmark" or "pirål" in Norwegian], which Gunnerus has dissected himself, and where he had clearly observed the difference between the sexes. [The article published by Gunnerus was, "Om sleep-marken"].
    • 2011 December 19, Jancuk Jaran, “Hagfish”, in All Animals[2], retrieved 4 January 2018:
      Linné discussed the strange “lamprey” with Norwegian Bishop and naturalist Johan Ernst Gunnerus and they both classified it as a worm. In 1763, Gunnerus wrote about the creature and he then referred to it as a Sleep-Marken.

References

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