aalstreep

Dutch

A donkey displaying an aalstreep

Etymology

Compound of aal (“eel”) +‎ streep (“line, stripe”), literally “line on the back of an eel”. Compare German Aalstreif and Aalstrich.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaːl.streːp/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: aal‧streep

Noun

aalstreep f (plural aalstrepen, diminutive aalstreepje n)

1. a dark line along the length of the back of an animal, in particular an ungulate [from 18th c.]
   • 1769, Johann Le Francq van Berkhey, Natuurlyke historie van Holland, Vol. 4, Part 1, page 35:

     De zoogenaamde Muisvaale Paarden hebben zwarte staarten, benevens zwarte maanen, en een zwarten streep, dien de kenners den aalstreep noemen, over de rugstreng.

     The so called mousy grey horses have black tails, beside black manes, and a black stripe, that the experts call the eel stripe, over the spine of its back.

   • 2004, Gilles Delaborde, "Fjordenpaard", Pony's en paarden, tr. by Wim Sanders, Biblion (publ.), page 8.

     De aalstreep is soms duidelijk afgetekend en de zwarte vlekken worden op de benen zebrastrepen.

     The dark dorsal line is sometimes clearly distinguishable and on the legs the black spots become zebra stripes.