mörgæs

Icelandic

FWOTD – 16 June 2018

Etymology

From mör (“suet”) +‎ gæs (“goose”), a partial calque based on the supposed derivation of penguin from Latin pinguis (“fat”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmœr.caiːs/

Noun

mörgæs f (genitive singular mörgæsar, nominative plural mörgæsir)

1. penguin

   Mörgæsir eru sætar.

   Penguins are cute.

   • 1883 May 2, “Fá orð um ferðir fugla [A few words about the journeys of birds]”, in Norðanfari‎^[1], volume 22, numbers 21-22, page 47:

     Þar dvelja mörgæsirnar hina 6 vetrarmánuði og hljóta sífellt að berjast við storm og ís, er hvorttveggja hlýtur að skerða ró og ánægju fuglsins.

     The penguins stay there those 6 winter months and must continually contend with storm and ice, when both must negatively affect the tranquility and enjoyment of the bird.

   • 1979, “Eintal í dýragarðinum [Soliloquy in the zoo]”, in Dýraverndarinn‎^[2], volume 65, numbers 3-4, page 16:

     Eggin eru mjög oft ófrjó, og ef þau klekjast ekki út, leggst hin vonsvikna móðir á egg annarar mörgæsar.

     The eggs are very often infertile, and if they fail to hatch, the disappointed mother sits on the egg of another penguin.

   • 1991, “Fuglalíf á Falklandseyjum [Birdlife on the Falkland Islands]”, in Náttúrufræðingurinn‎^[3], volume 61, number 1, page 21:

     Skemmtilegast er að heimsækja mörgæsabyggðirnar enda eru engar mörgæsir fyrir norðan miðbaug.

     The most interesting [thing] is visiting the penguin settlements, since there are no penguins north of the equator.

Declension

declension of mörgæs

f-s2	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	mörgæs	mörgæsin	mörgæsir	mörgæsirnar
accusative	mörgæs	mörgæsina	mörgæsir	mörgæsirnar
dative	mörgæs	mörgæsinni	mörgæsum	mörgæsunum
genitive	mörgæsar	mörgæsarinnar	mörgæsa	mörgæsanna