hwæl

Middle English

Noun

hwæl

1. (Early Middle English) Alternative form of whale

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Old English

A scale model of a blue whale.

Alternative forms

• hƿæl — wynn spelling

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *hwalaz (compare Old Saxon hwal, Old High German wal, Old Norse hvalr), probably from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kʷálos (“sheatfish”). Another theory suggests it is perhaps akin to Finnish kala, from Proto-Uralic *kala.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /xwæl/, [ʍæl]

Noun

hwæl m

1. a whale

Declension

Declension of hwæl (strong a-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	hwæl	hwalas
accusative	hwæl	hwalas
genitive	hwæles	hwala
dative	hwæle	hwalum

Derived terms

• horshwæl (“walrus”)
• hwælhunta (“whaler”)
• hwælhuntaþ (“whaling”)
• hwælmere (“the sea”)
• hwælweġ (“the ocean”)
• nēohwæl (“narwhal”)

 

Descendants

• Middle English: whale, hwæl, qual, whal, swale, quall, quale, whaale, whalle, qwayll, wale, qwall, qwalle
  • English: whale
  • Scots: whaul