prettygoodword (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
prettygoodword) wrote2014-07-18 07:16 am
prettygoodword) wrote2014-07-18 07:16 am
solan
solan (SOH-luhn) - n., the northern gannet.
Also called solan goose, although a gannet is nothing like a goose. It's the largest gannet, with wingspans up to 2 meters, and despite the name travels as far south as central America -- the name is to distinguish it from the two southern hemisphere species. Name dates to the middle ages, probably of Scandinavian origin, in turn from Old Norse sūla, gannet + ǫnd, duck -- even though it's nothing like a duck either.
And that's this week of mostly seabirds -- I would have mixed it up a bit more if I'd realized that.
---L.
Also called solan goose, although a gannet is nothing like a goose. It's the largest gannet, with wingspans up to 2 meters, and despite the name travels as far south as central America -- the name is to distinguish it from the two southern hemisphere species. Name dates to the middle ages, probably of Scandinavian origin, in turn from Old Norse sūla, gannet + ǫnd, duck -- even though it's nothing like a duck either.
And that's this week of mostly seabirds -- I would have mixed it up a bit more if I'd realized that.
---L.