RE: Icelandic dinosaur names

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@umd.edu>]

> From: owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu [mailto:owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu] 
> On Behalf Of David Orr
>
> Anyone ever hear of this phenomenon in Iceland?
> 
> "One of the most fun things about the Icelandic language is 
> that unlike every other language to my knowledge, they have 
> their own dinosaur names rather than using the same Greek and 
> Latin that we?re used to. There are a whole bunch named after 
> gods and goddesses (Apatosaurus/Þórseðla, 
> Maiasaura/Freyjueðla) but my absolute favorite is the one in 
> the picture. Its scientific name is ?Irritator,? and so the 
> Icelanders dubbed it Lokaeðla (?Lokisaurus?)."
> 
> source: 
> http://kvaaninkieli.tumblr.com/post/4556882133/one-of-the-most
-fun-things-about-the-icelandic
> 
> Thought it was interesting, and wonder if any other languages 
> have local names for dinosaurs or other extinct animals.

I found this on the Icelandic wikipedia page:
http://is.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listi_yfir_risae%C3%B0lur
Which lists the Icelandic equivalents to dinosaur names.

Clicking on the one for Tyrannosaurus 
(http://is.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grame%C3%B0la) reveals the Icelandic equivalents 
for some
suprageneric names as well:
Seildýr (Chordata)
Skriðdýr (Sauropsida)
Risaeðlur (Dinosauria)

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Email: tholtz@umd.edu   Phone: 301-405-4084
Office: Centreville 1216                        
Senior Lecturer, Vertebrate Paleontology
Dept. of Geology, University of Maryland
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/
Fax: 301-314-9661               

Faculty Director, Science & Global Change Program, College Park Scholars
http://www.geol.umd.edu/sgc
Fax: 301-314-9843

Mailing Address:        Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                        Department of Geology
                        Building 237, Room 1117
                        University of Maryland
                        College Park, MD 20742 USA