Etymology Dictionary

NARWHAL,  the sea-unicorn.  (Scand.)   In Ash's Dict., ed. 1775.—Dan. and Swed. narhval; Icel. náhvalr, a narwhale.   β. The latter part of the word is the same as E. whale.   As to the sense of the prefix, the lit. sense of Icel. ná-hvalr is 'corpse-whale,' from Icel. nár (in compounds ná-), a corpse; and the fish is often of a pallid colour.   Such is the usual explanation.   γ. We should rather expect the prefix to stand for Icel. nas- (= nose), as in nas-hyrningar, a 'nose-horned' animal, a rhinoceros, from Icel. nös (stem nas-), the nose.   The long horn projects like a nose from the upper jaw.   The change from s to r is quite regular and common; cf. E. iron from A.S. ísen, E. hare = G. hase.   But this guess does not explain Icel. á.