Common name of Carcharhinus falciformis
 
Common name Shark
Language English
Type Vernacular
Official trade name No
Rank 2 - (Preferred common name (unique))
Country United States (contiguous states)
Locality
Ref. Randolph, S. and M. Snyder, 1993
Life stage juveniles and adults
Sex females and males
Core primary lexeme
1st modifier
2nd modifier
Remarks FDA market name; '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).
 
Entered by Luna, Susan M.
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