porpoise

[anne marie devlin]

For anyone who's interested the word porpoise is a hybrid of pig and fish
 
> Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2010 23:05:16 +0100
> From: anne_mariedevlin at HOTMAIL.COM
> Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] porpoise
> To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
> 
> 
> It obviously refers to porpoises. If you take the context into consideration, it would be highly unlikely for 19th century Alaskans to compare the seasons with the breeding patterns of an Andean rodent. The use of the diminutive is possibly displays an emotional response to a harbinger of warm weather. It would also be interesting to find out when the term морская свинка came into use. I don't think it would be too far fetched to suggest that the native Alaskans were unaware of its existence.
> 
> Anne marie‏ 
> > Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:50:26 -0400
> > From: Wwdslovene at AOL.COM
> > Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] porpoise
> > To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > In a message dated 7/20/2010 3:34:36 P.M. Mountain Daylight Time, 
> > sarahhurst at ALASKA.NET writes:
> > 
> > I agree with the two preceding replies. The term refers to guinea pigs.
> > Marc Robinson is correct. This refers to porpoises, and they do give 
> > birth during the summer months, primarily in July.
> > Wm. Derbyshire
> > 
> > Hello,
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > I’m working with a translation of an early 19th-century document in which 
> > the way in which the months were characterized by Alaska Natives is 
> > described. July is said to be the month when “морские свинки плодятся”. 
> > The translator has said this means when “dolphins give birth”. Does this 
> > refer to dolphins?
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Thanks,
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Sarah Hurst
> > 
> > 
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