05-09-03 22:54, Ben McGarr wrote:
> What's the relation with Russian Morzh? Oddly enough it was one of
> the first words I learnt.
Also from a Finnic source, though the precise identification of the
language of origin may be impossible. Polish <mors> is a loan from
French rather than directly from Finnish or Saami.
I like the neo-Latin word <rosmarus> (as in _Odobenus rosmarus_; hence
some other European names for the walrus, including obsolete Eng.
<rosmarine>). It seems to be a curious hybrid of <hross-hvalr> and
<morse (marine)>.
Piotr