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fol (a type of bird)

English translation: gannet

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:fol (a type of bird)
English translation:gannet
Entered by: thurayya

20:43 Jun 28, 2007
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Zoology / 18th c ms, travelogue, dictated and handwritten
French term or phrase: fol (a type of bird)
Text: "en l'air il y avoit des frégattes, des fols et des goelans"

In Randle Cotgrave's 1611 French-English Dictionary (http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/cotgrave/search/451r.html) I have found "a kind of great Canarie bird." However, I do not believe this could be used in modern English. Any ideas?
thurayya
United States
Local time: 19:44
gannet
Explanation:
fou in modern French
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fou_de_Bassan

They have a reputation for eating a lot don't they?
Selected response from:

Alain Pommet
Local time: 02:44
Grading comment
Thanks!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +4gannet
Alain Pommet


  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
gannet


Explanation:
fou in modern French
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fou_de_Bassan

They have a reputation for eating a lot don't they?

Alain Pommet
Local time: 02:44
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks!
Notes to answerer
Asker: Hi again. I guess maybe they do, this text describes them diving to catch flying fish that are traveling in huge schools, and being very acrobatic.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tony M: That's what I thought too — though it is only instinct!
12 mins
  -> Thanks Tony
agree  Francis MARC: même espèce que le "fou de Bassan"
49 mins
  -> Thanks Francis
agree  John Speese: Yes, and some spp. are also called boobies (i.e., like fou/folle) in English, supposedly because they were easy to hunt.
1 hr
  -> Thanks John - booby sounds good! - I've also seen 'solan-goose' which sounds more poetic.
agree  Cetacea: Yes, gannet and booby are interchangeable, cf. e.g. http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i1170id.html My favorite is the Blue-footed Booby, though.
13 hrs
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