Kilo Lingo

la

feminine

/baˈʎena/

Line drawing of ballena
Coloured illustration of ballena
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Translation

whale

Word origin

From Latin ballaena, from Greek phallaina ('whale'). The same Latin root gives English 'baleen', the filter plates in a whale's mouth.

Origin
Latin
Root
ballaena
English cognates
baleen

Grammar

Genderfeminine
Pluralballenas

Examples

.

The blue whale is the largest animal on the planet.

.

We saw a whale leap near the boat.

miles .

Whales travel thousands of kilometres every year.

¡, !

Look, a whale by the coast!

.

The museum has the skeleton of an enormous whale.

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This word is part of lesson 55.