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/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

walvis (plural walvisse, diminutive walvissie)

1. whale (marine mammal)

Derived terms

• blouwalvis
• Walvisbaai

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-West Germanic *hwal, 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)

1. whale, mammal of the order Cetacea

Hyponyms

• baleinwalvis
• dolfijn
• potvis
• tandwalvis
• vinvis

Derived terms

• baleinwalvis
• tandwalvis
• walvisjacht
• walvisjager
• walvisvaart
• zwaardwalvis

Descendants

• Afrikaans: walvis
• Negerhollands: walvisch, walvis
• → Thai: วาฬ (waan)