vecchio marino

Italian

Etymology

Literally, “sea calf”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvek.kjo maˈri.no/
• Hyphenation: véc‧chio‧ma‧rì‧no

Noun

vecchio marino m (plural vecchi marini)

1. (obsolete) Synonym of foca (“seal”)
   • 1516–1532, Ludovico Ariosto, “Canto 6”, in Orlando furioso, stanza 36; republished as Santorre Debenedetti, editor, Bari: Laterza, 1928:

     Veloci vi correvano i delfini,
     vi venía a bocca aperta il grosso tonno;
     i capidogli coi vécchi marini
     vengon turbati dal lor pigro sonno

     There, the dolphins were swimming swiftly; the large tuna was coming there with its mouth open; the sperm whales, with the seals, are roused from their lazy sleep

   • 1567, Ricettario fiorentino [Florentine Cookbook]‎^[1], page 3:

     altri ſono detti da Greci amphibij, […] come il caſtoro, la lontra, il vecchio marino, e il cocodrillo.

     [altri sono detti da' greci anfibî, […] come il castoro, la lontra, il vecchio marino, e il cocodrillo.]

     Others [animals] are called amphibians by the Greeks, like the beaver, the otter, the seal and the crocodile.

See also

• leone marino