Where does “spermhval” come from?

spermhval (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.

spermhval (Norwegian Bokmål): a sperm whale

Definitions

  1. a sperm whale

Ancestry of “spermhval”, step by step

spermhval 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 sperm

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Norwegian Bokmålspermsperm
2Ancient Greekσπέρμαseed; semen, sperm; seed-time, sowing
3Proto-Hellenic*spérmə—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kʷálos →Every word from Proto-Germanic hwalaz →Every word from Old Norse hvalr →