Where does “hvalfanger” come from?

hvalfanger (Norwegian Bokmål) comes from Norwegian Bokmål hval, from Danish hval, from Old Norse hvalr, from Proto-Germanic hwalaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kʷálos — large fish; sheatfish.

hvalfanger (Norwegian Bokmål): a whaler person engaged in whaling

Definitions

  1. a whaler person engaged in whaling

Ancestry of “hvalfanger”, step by step

hvalfanger traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Norwegian Bokmål hval

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Norwegian Bokmålhvala whale
2Danishhvalwhale
3Old Norsehvalrwhale
4Proto-Germanichwalazwhale, sheatfish
5Proto-Indo-European(s)kʷáloslarge fish; sheatfish

via Norwegian Bokmål fanger

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Norwegian Bokmålfangera person or object that catches something,...
2Norwegian Bokmålfangeconvict, inmate, prisoner; to catch, to capture
3Old Norsefangi—
4Middle Low Germanvangene—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kʷálos →