Octopus in different languages?

[Darwinishungry]

-edit

I don't need this information anymore. Thank you anyways!

-DIH

 

[Tigerkatze_82]

Hi

Just a comment on your current list: the German word "Tintenfisch" is rather used for cuttlefishes than for octopus, I think. The most common word for octopus in Germany is "Oktopus".

TK

 

[joel_ang]

If I'm not wrong 'pulpo' is spanish for octos, in german its 'krake', in french its 'pulpe', in italian its 'polipo' and in portugese its 'polvo'. Hope this helps.

 

[Melissa]

Joel, can you give us a phonetic rendering of octo in Chinese?

 

[cletusthebold]

In Korean, octopus is "Munoo" (moo-no).

 

[Cephkid]

Tako = octopus... :P

 

[joel_ang]

It would sound like " ba jiao yu" which directly translates to 8-legged fish. Cuttlefish are called " Mo yu " meaning ink fish and squids are "you yu".
I had to much free time and started writing the characters in paint so here it is.

 

[Tintenfisch]

Just in case...

German: der Tintenfisch ('ink fish'), die Krake
Norwegian: et blekksprut ('ink-spitter')
Swedish: blaeckfisk
Maori: wheke
Tongan: feke
Spanish: el pulpo
Italian: il polipo
Korean: ba-yü
French: la pieuvre
Esperanto: polpo
Indonesian: cumecume
Latin and Greek: octopus (no kidding!)
Japanese: tako
Finnish: mustekala
Russian: osminog (a combination of the words 'eight legs')
Czech, Slovak and Bosnian: chobot nece ('trunk animal')
American Sign Language: make on 'o' shape with your right hand (four fingers curved, tips together with the tip of the thumb), rest your right thumb-knuckle on the back of your left hand, point your four left-hand fingers down and wiggle them.

 

[Melissa]

TTF, thanks for this great list!

and the Chinese characters, too!