Ancestors

Written by 🌈☔🌦️🍄 on 2025-01-14 at 11:46

I recently learned that the english word "Penguin" translates to 'Manchots' or 'Sphenisciformes' in french.

While the french word 'Pingouin' (which sounds very similar) refers to the Razorbill (Alca torda) or the extinct great auk (Pinguinus impennis). Both of which only live/have lived on the Northern hemisphere.

So the Penguin lives on the southern hemisphere and the Pingouin lives on the northern hemisphere.

Now I 'm wondering how many french floss enthusiasts mixed these up.

[#]language

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Toot

Written by 🌈☔🌦️🍄 on 2025-01-14 at 12:27

More (possibly annoying trivia):

Also seems the french is closer to the original than the english. Possibly derived from the Welsh "pengwyn" (white head) and used for the Auk. French adopted it from english and english also used it for and now only uses it for the unrelated southern hemisphere bird.

Now I'm ready to embed myself into the french opensource community. ;)

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Descendants

Written by Nicolas Dandrimont on 2025-01-14 at 12:28

@wmd I'm sorry!

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