narval
/naʁ.val/masculine
The English word narwhal is translated into French as narval. Wiktionary also lists licorne de mer.
Meaning: Arctic cetacean (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| narval | /naʁ.val/ | masculine |
| licorne de mer | feminine |
The term refers to the Arctic cetacean.
Which one should you use?
narval is the standard biological term for the animal, whereas licorne de mer is a more descriptive and poetic way to refer to it, literally meaning 'sea unicorn'.
How does it change in a sentence?
narval is a masculine noun and is preceded by the masculine article le. In contrast, the phrase licorne de mer is feminine and is preceded by the feminine article la.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /naʁ.val/ and has two syllables.
Did you know?
- In French culture, the narval was historically linked to the myth of the licorne because its tusks were sold to European royalty as authentic unicorn horns.
- The French word narval is a loanword derived from the Greenlandic word narwhal, making it a rare example of an Arctic term entering the French language.
- The word licorne is a linguistic curiosity because it resulted from a 'reanalysis' where speakers mistakenly thought the Latin prefix for 'one' was actually the French indefinite article une.
Examples in context
- La licorne des mers est un animal fascinant.The narwhal is a fascinating animal.
- Les narvals sont souvent associés à la mythologie maritime.Narwhals are often associated with maritime mythology.
- Le narval est un animal magnifique.The narwhal is a magnificent animal.
- J'ai vu un narval dans le documentaire.I saw a narwhal in the documentary.
- Le narval possède une longue dent.The narwhal has a long tooth.
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are visiting an aquarium.
- EmmaHugo, regarde ! C'est un narval.Hugo, look! It's a narwhal.
- HugoIl a une corne très longue.He has a very long horn.
- EmmaC'est en fait une dent de narval.It's actually a narwhal tooth.
- HugoC'est vraiment impressionnant.That is truly impressive.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “narwhal” translations and entries narval, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, licorne, mer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
