Where does “walrus” come from?
walrus (Dutch) comes from Danish hvalros, from Old Norse hrosshvalr, from Old Norse hross, from Proto-Germanic hursaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱers- — to run.
walrus (Dutch): walrus, any member of the family Odobenidae of...
Definitions
- walrus, any member of the family Odobenidae of...
Ancestry of “walrus”, step by step
walrus traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Danish hvalros
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danish | hvalros | walrus |
| 2 | Old Norse | hrosshvalr | walrus |
| 3 | Old Norse | hross | horse |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | hursaz | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱers- | to run |
via Swedish valross
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swedish | valross | walrus |