Where does “knølhval” come from?

knølhval (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.

knølhval (Norwegian Bokmål): a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)

Definitions

  1. a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)

Ancestry of “knølhval”, step by step

knølhval 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 Nynorsk knøl

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Norwegian Nynorskknøl—
2Dutchknoltuber; bulge, protrusion; nag, inferior horse
3Old Englishcnollsummit
4Proto-Germanicknudan-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kʷálos →