Where does “gráhvalur” come from?

gráhvalur (Icelandic) comes from Icelandic hvalur, from Old Norse hvalr, from Proto-Germanic hwalaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kʷálos — large fish; sheatfish.

gráhvalur (Icelandic): gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus)

Definitions

  1. gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus)

Ancestry of “gráhvalur”, step by step

gráhvalur traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Icelandic hvalur

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Icelandichvalurwhale
2Old Norsehvalrwhale
3Proto-Germanichwalazwhale, sheatfish
4Proto-Indo-European(s)kʷáloslarge fish; sheatfish

via Icelandic grár

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Icelandicgrárgrey, gray
2Old Norsegrárgrey; spiteful
3Proto-Germanicgrēwazgrey
4Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰreh₁-to become green, grow; to grow; to green, to grow
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kʷálos →Every word from Proto-Germanic hwalaz →Every word from Old Norse hvalr →