Common name of Galeorhinus galeus
 
Common name Tope shark
Language English
Type Vernacular
Official trade name No
Rank 3 - (Other common name)
Country Spain
Locality
Ref. Sánchez, F., F. de la Gándara and R. Gancedo, 1995
Life stage juveniles and adults
Sex females and males
Core primary lexeme
1st modifier taste/smell
2nd modifier
Remarks 'shark', of obscure origins but appears to have been introduced to English in the late 1560s by members of Sir John Hawkins' expedition (a ballad of 1569 recorded 'There is no proper name for [the fish] that I know, but that certain men of Captain Hawkins' doth call it a shark'), but it is not known where they got it from. A resemblance to Austrian dialect 'schirk', i.e., sturgeon has been noted (p. 471 in Ref. 11979); 'tope' as in 'tope oil' obtained from the liver of this small cosmopolitan shark which is rich in Vitamin A (p. 1244 in Ref. 11979).
 
Entered by Sánchez Delgado, Francisco
Modified by Sampang-Reyes, Arlene G.
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cfm script by eagbayani, 11.10.04 ,  php script by rolavides, 25/03/08 ,  last modified by sortiz, 06/27/17