walrus: [17] Etymologically, a walrus is probably a ‘whale-horse’. The word seems to have been borrowed from Dutch walrus, which was an inversion of a presumed prehistoric Germanic compound represented by Old English horschwæl and Old Norse hrosshvalr. (The inversion may have been due to the influence of Dutch walvisch ‘whale’ – literally ‘whale-fish’ – but it could also owe something to French influence, since French noun compounds of this sort are often in the reverse order to corresponding Germanic ones.) The element wal- is clearly the same word as whale, and -rus is generally assumed to be horse.
It has, however, been suggested that the horsc- of the Old English term was an alteration of morsa, a name for the walrus of Lappish origin which is also the source of French morse ‘walrus’. => horse, whale
1650s, from Dutch walrus, which was probably a folk-etymology alteration (by influence of Dutch walvis "whale" and ros "horse") of a Scandinavian word, such as Old Norse rosmhvalr "walrus," hrosshvalr "a kind of whale," or rostungr "walrus." Old English had horschwæl, and later morse, from Lapp morsa or Finnish mursu, which ultimately might be the source, much garbled, of the first element in Old Norse rosmhvalr.
双语例句
1. He is the queer old duck with the knee - length gaiters and walrus mustache.
他穿着高及膝盖的皮护腿,留着海象般的八字胡,真是个古怪的老家伙.
来自《简明英汉词典》
2. Mr Watkins , smoothing his walrus moustache, stood near a candle reading a month - old newspaper.
沃特金斯先生摸着海象式的胡子, 正靠近一枝蜡烛在读一份一个月以前的旧报纸.
来自辞典例句
3. The shape of Walrus evolved out of the Manatee species.
海象的外形是从海牛物种里演化而成.
来自互联网
4. The old walrus turned her head slowly and opened her eyes.
那只老海象慢慢地转过头来,睁开了眼睛.
来自互联网
5. It is the Elephant and Walrus Kingdoms that greet you today.
