Where does “hvalkjöt” come from?

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

hvalkjöt (Icelandic): whale meat

Definitions

  1. whale meat

Ancestry of “hvalkjöt”, step by step

hvalkjöt 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 kjöt

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Icelandickjötmeat
2Old Norsekjǫt—
3Proto-Germanicketwąmeat; flesh
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kʷálos →Every word from Proto-Germanic hwalaz →Every word from Old Norse hvalr →