baleia (in this context)

English translation: baleen whale

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

Portuguese term or phrase:	baleia (in this context)
English translation:	baleen whale
Entered by:	lexical

17:43 Oct 22, 2006

Portuguese to English translations [PRO]
Science - Zoology / marine animals

Portuguese term or phrase: baleia (in this context)

Context: "...a caça ao cachalote e à BALEIA que foi, até há bem poucos anos, uma actividade desenvolvida desde sempre por muitos açorianos..."
My question is this: the author seems to be making a distiction between the "cachalote" (sperm whale) and the "baleia" (which I thought was a generic term for whale). Does anyone know of "baleia" being used for a specific type or genus of whales?

lexical KudoZ activity Questions: 236 (none open) (33 closed without grading) Answers: 306 Spain
Local time: 16:33

baleen whale

Explanation:
+

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Note added at 15 mins (2006-10-22 17:59:16 GMT)
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'Cachalote' refers to toothed wales

The baleen whales, also called whalebone whales or great whales, form the Mysticeti, one of two suborders of the Cetacea (whales, dolphins and porpoises). Baleen whales are characterized by having baleen plates for filtering food from water, rather than having teeth. This distinguishes them from the other suborder of cetaceans, the toothed whales or Odontoceti. Living Mysticeti species have teeth only during the embryonal phase. Fossil Mysticeti had teeth before baleen evolved.

Selected response from:

MLeiria
Portugal
Local time: 15:33

Grading comment

Thank you, that explains it nicely.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +6

baleen whale

MLeiria

whale (baleia)/ common cachalot (cachalote)

Claudio Mazotti

whale

M. Ángeles López Rodríguez

Answers

14 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +6

baleen whale

MLeiria
Portugal
Local time: 15:33
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Portuguese
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

Thank you, that explains it nicely.

17 mins confidence:

whale

Explanation:
cachalote in english: sperm whale.
Baleia: is the generic name of whale: live in all the seas, mostly cold water.
The sperm whale live more in tropical, warm water.
Whale Baleia
Sperm whale: cachalote

M. Ángeles López Rodríguez
Local time: 16:33
Native speaker of:

Spanish

29 mins confidence:

whale (baleia)/ common cachalot (cachalote)

Explanation:
Since the author makes a ditinction between both terms, I suggest using whales and common cachalots.

Historically the Sperm Whale has also been known as the Common Cachalot. The word cachalot is originally Portuguese
(cachalote), probably coming from cachola, a colloquial term for head. Sperm Whales were hunted until recently in the Portuguese atlantic archipelago of Azores. The Sperm Whale is also the state animal of Connecticut.
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sperm_Whale

Claudio Mazotti
Brazil
Native speaker of: Portuguese
PRO pts in category: 4

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English translation: baleen whale

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