Narwhal
/ˈnɑːr.wəl/noun
A small Arctic whale with a long spiral tusk, usually the enlarged tooth of the male.
Did you know?The English word ultimately comes from Old Norse *náhvalr*, often explained as “corpse whale,” because the whale’s pale skin was thought to resemble a drowned body.
Etymological Timeline
Old Norse
ON
náhvalr
“likely “corpse whale” or “dead whale””
Middle Low German
MLG
narwal
“a whale with a long tusk”
16th Century
English
narwhale
“a North Atlantic whale known for its long tusk”
Modern English
English
narwhal
“the standard modern spelling of the tusked Arctic whale”