Fishes that aren't fishes

[matakoweg]

In many languages there are words that are biologically not correct.
I mean words as:
Jellyfish is not a species of fish
starfish belongs to the echinoderms that are totally unrelated to fish.

Do you have such words in your language?
In Dutch we have:
inktvis = octopus (belonging to the mollusks)
walvis = whale (mammals)

Do you also have 'wrong' birds?
I don't know an example in Dutch nor English but in Danish a sommerfugl is a butterfly.

So I'm looking for animals with in their name fish or bird that are not really fish nor birds.

 

[entangledbank]

A silverfish and a ladybird are both insects: there's one to start your bird collection.

 

[Red Arrow]

Dutch zilvervisje = silverfish
Most Flemish homes are loaded with these insects.

Zeekat = literally "sea cat" = cuttlefish
This is not a cat and not a fish either!

Haan can be a bird (rooster) or an insect (leaf beetle)
Sprinkhaan = literally "jump leaf beetle" = a grasshopper, which is not an actual beetle, let alone a rooster!

Schildpad = literally "shield toad" = a turtle, which is a reptile, not an amphibian
Zeepaardje = a seahorse, which is a fish, not a mammal

Koperworm = literally "cupper worm" = wireworms, which are click beetle larvae, not worms
A better Dutch name is ritnaalden = literally "rip needles"

The following are all mammals with a Dutch name that refers to another mammal:

Nijlpaard = literally "Nile horse" = a hippo
Luipaard = literally "lazy horse", from Latin leopardus
Zeekoe = a sea cow
Zeeleeuw = a sea lion
Zeehond = literally "sea dog" = a seal
A better Dutch name is rob.

 

[Stoggler]

There’s the sea cucumber, which is no fruit of a vine plant!

 

[apmoy70]

In Greek:

Silverfish is either «θυσάνουρος» [θiˈsa.nu.ɾɔs] (masc.) --> tassel-tailed, or colloquially «ασημόψαρο» [a.siˈmɔ.p͡sa.ɾɔ] (neut.) --> silverfish.
«Σκορπιός» [skɔrˈpçɔs] (masc.) --> scorpion (synonymous with the famous arachnid) is the stingfish.
«Καλογριά» [ka.lɔ.ɣriˈa] (fem.) --> nun (coll. MoGr), or «παπαθκιά» [pa.paθˈca] (fem.) --> the priest's wife in the Orthodox Church (CyGr) is the damselfish.
«Δράκαινα» [ˈðra.ce.na] (fem.) --> she-dragon is the weeverfish.
«Γλώσσα» [ˈɣlɔ.sa] (fem.) --> tongue is the solea fish.
«Παντελής» [pan.deˈlis] (masc.) --> the familiar version of the first name of «Παντελεήμων» [pan.de.leˈi.mɔn], is the brown meagre (fish).
«Σαλιάρα» [saˈʎa.ɾa] (fem.) --> baby's bib, is the butterfly blenny (fish).
«Βαρβάρα» [varˈva.ɾa] (fem.) --> Barbara (fem. first name), is the name of the common shelduck.
«Αρτέμης» [arˈte.mis] (masc.) --> the familiar version of the first name of «Αρτέμιος» [arˈte.mi.ɔs], is the Scopoli's shearwater (bird).
«Γελαδάρης» [ʝe.laˈða.ɾis] (masc.) --> cattleman, cowboy, is the name of the western cattle egret (bird).
«Γερανός» [ʝe.ɾaˈnɔs] (masc.) --> crane, is the name of the common crane (bird).
«Καρατζάς» [ka.ɾaˈʣ͡as] (masc.) --> roe deer, is the name of the Caspian tern (bird) < Tur. karaca, roe deer.
«Γιδοβύζι» [ʝi.ðɔˈvi.zi] (neut.) --> goat's teat, is the name of the bird nightjar.
«Καλόγερος» [kaˈlɔ.ʝe.ɾɔs] (masc.) --> monk (coll.) is the name of the bird great tit.
«Αμπελουργός» [am.be.lurˈɣɔs] (masc.) --> viticulturist, grape grower, is the name of the bird black-headed bunting.

 

[matakoweg]

Thanks a lot, but I actually mean words containing the word fish or bird in your language. Otherwise the list would be too long.
so Silverfish and Ladybird are good examples.

 

[Welsh_Sion]

Well, English slang has '(dolly) bird' for 'a particular type of (young) lady'. A little dated and offensive to some people. Again, jailbird is not a feathered creature but somone who is 'a guest of Her Majesty's'.

Cymraeg/Welsh has the word 'aderyn' (usually meaning 'a bird', 'avis') but if someone is 'dipyn o dderyn' ( = 'a bit of a bird') then he's rather a shady customer. Similarly, 'aderyn brith' (lit. 'a speckled bird') is also rather 'a bit of a lad.'

We could stray into bird/animal expressions which refer to humans, but I'm sure there are other threads on this and you don't want these. Aderyn carchar is the same as Eng. jailbird (supra). 'Aderyn y felltith' (Lit. 'bird of the curse) is 'a lawyer'. 'Adar yr un lliw' (Lit. 'Birds of the same colour') are the equivalent of 'Birds of a feather', which of course also refers to humans not just birds.

Turning to fish, 'pysgod bychain' (Lit. 'small fish') are actually 'sand eels'. 'Pysgod duon' (Lit. 'black fish') are 'porpoises, seals'. And finally, 'pysgod jeli' are 'jellyfish' (The polite expression ...)

 

[alfaalfa]

Ciao,

A silverfish

and also in Italian we have the pesciolino d'argento (pesciolino = little fish; argento=silver) or acciughina (little anchovy).

 

[Awwal12]

In Russian a ladybird is "God's little cow", божья коровка (bózhya koróvka), while it's not even vertebrate. But I cannot think about some "fishes" or "birds". Slavic languages aren't much into the compound nouns of the "characteristic noun + generic noun" or "characteristic adjective + generic noun" type to begin with. "Божья коровка" mentioned above is not only a phraseme rather than a proper word; its noun also has very little to do with ladybirds, being simply metaphorical and not generic in any manner (no one in his right mind would call ladybirds a subset of cows).

 

[Welsh_Sion]

I was going to avoid the following as I thought you wanted 'bird' or 'fish' in the exact word.

However, @Awwal12 reminds me that a ladybird in Cymraeg/Welsh is the equivalent of 'a short red cow' ('buwch goch gota') and a butterfly can be 'a little summer hen' ('iâr fach yr haf').

Again, in English, we should mention 'a Bombay duck' which is a fish.

 

[Enquiring Mind]

Czech: velryba (“bigfish”) = whale.
French: poisson d’avril (“April fish”) = April fool.

 

[Olaszinhok]

French: poisson d’avril (“April fish”) = April fool.

The same in Italian: pesce d'aprile.

and also in Italian we have the pesciolino d'argento (pesciolino = little fish; argento=silver) or acciughina (little anchovy).

What a nice name for such an ugly insect!

 

[alfaalfa]

My kids are always fascinated when they find a living fish in a... book.

 

[Chrzaszcz Saproksyliczny]

Whale in Polish is "wieloryb" which if you break it up sounds like "large fish", same as in Czech. What English calls "silverfish" (insects, not fish at all) are "rybiki" (fish thingies?).
I'm not sure if it covers your question, but to add to the discussion, we have several folk names for mushroom species, which tend to be bird-related.

 

[matakoweg]

I'm curious about mushroom species with bird related names.

 

[Ballenero]

There is a small insect that lives in the houses and many times you can find it in the bathroom.
In Spanish it's known as:
Pececillo de plata
[little silver fish].

 

[Circunflejo]

In Cuba, there's a bird, Passerina Ciris, called Mariposa (butterfly).

 

[AndrasBP]

The Hungarian word for tadpole (frog larva) is "ebihal", which basically means "dogfish".
The "dog" part apparently refers to the carnivorous nature of the animal.

 

[Welsh_Sion]

And dogfish and catfish themselves are neither canine nor feline!

 

[Chrzaszcz Saproksyliczny]

Not that it completely suits this thread's purpose, but porpoise in PL is morświn. Literally, a sea pig.

 

[Welsh_Sion]

Snap! @Chrzaszcz Saproksyliczny. Same in Cymraeg/Welsh, but we actually apply the feminine: morhwch (Lit. 'sea sow' which is also a 'dolphin').

And 'shark' is morgi or ci môr (both meaning 'sea dog'). Then, there's morlo (Lit. 'sea calf' for 'seal') and morlew ('sea-lion').

 

[Ballenero]

Lecanus cervus
It is not a bird but it flies.
It is an insect and its name is
Flying Deer in Spanish,
Ciervo volante.

 

[j.Constantine]

In spanish : ,orca and foca or lobo marino for example and a bird called seagull in english

 

[Circunflejo]

In spanish : ,orca

 

[marco_2]

I'm curious about mushroom species with bird related names.

So e.g. in Polish Cantharellus cibarius is called kurka (= little hen) or in some regions lisica (= vixen), Russula Pers. - gołąbek (= little pigeon) and Tricholoma equestre L. - gąska (= little goose), that's what came to my mind.

 

[Roxxxannne]

Mushrooms:
Grifola frondosa = hen of the woods
Laetiporus sulphureus = chicken of the woods

 

[alfaalfa]

I definetely won the prize: fish or bird? Who knows?

Gallinella (little chicken) is a fish.
Gallinella or cappone (capon)

 

[Circunflejo]

I definetely won the prize: fish or bird? Who knows?

That reminds me that in Spanish gallineta (little hen) is also a fish and palometa (little dove) is another fish. The gallineta is also known as cabrilla (little goat)... But definitely, the best one is gallo because it can refer to a rooster or to a fish (the four-spot megrim).

 

[Circunflejo]

Gallinella d'acqua is not only a little hen and a fish but this

In Spanish that's called gallineta común... so gallineta, as well as gallinella in Italian, may refer to that bird, to a little hen or to a fish.

 

[Olaszinhok]

Gallinella - gallinita or little hen. For little hen, I have always heard gallinita in Spanish. Probably also gallineta. In American Spanish gallineta is also Guinea fowl, according to my dictionary.
gallinella d'acqua - gallineta o polla de agua
Anyway, the pronunciation is different Spanish gallineta - ga'ʝineta; Italian gal.inɛl.a

As for the fish, I had never heard of it.

 

[Circunflejo]

For little hen, I have always heard gallinita in Spanish.

Yes, that's the most usual one but there are regional variants. Gallineta is used in Catalan and may be used in Spanish by speakers from areas where Catalan is also spoken. It's also used on some countries in the Americas.

 

[Roxxxannne]

In English there is the sea robin, a fish that looks like the North American robin. The robin (bird) has an orange-red belly, as does the fish.

 

[alfaalfa]

little chicken hen

 

[Kaoss]

In catalan "Truita" means both "omelette" and "trout". Actually in a restaurant menu may say if it comes from the egg or from the river...

Not a fish, but in spanish "langosta" means both "locust" and "lobster". When I was a child I did not undestood how come heremits in the bible were so poor that had to eat locusts....

 

[Chrzaszcz Saproksyliczny]

I think they actually could eat locust, and so it is in these few translations of the Bible that I know.
BibleAsk

 

[Kaoss]

I think they actually could eat locust, and so it is in these few translations of the Bible that I know.
BibleAsk

Yeah, that is the point... Eating lobster regularly is not what I would expect from a poor heremite... ;-)

 

[Chrzaszcz Saproksyliczny]

So e.g. in Polish Cantharellus cibarius is called kurka (= little hen) or in some regions lisica (= vixen), Russula Pers. - gołąbek (= little pigeon) and Tricholoma equestre L. - gąska (= little goose), that's what came to my mind.

The mushroom Macrolepiota procera is named sowa (owl) or kania (same as the bird the English call kite), depending on the region. Sorry if this went offtopic.