Why don't Killer Whales kill people?

[DSYoungEsq]

@Xema

Well, they are cetaceans, and thus closely related to whales. Since we put up with such things as polar bears far from any pole, grizzly bears that are seldom grizzled and black bears that are rarely black, this seems like something that can be tolerated.

These are inapposite. You are working with the adjective; I was working with the noun. You’d be much better off trying to refer to things like koala bears and panda bears, if it wasn’t for the fact that an enlightened public has learned that they aren’t bears, and has stopped calling them that, for the most part.

Oh, and nothing is “closely” related if the relation is at the level of Order. As soon suggest that zebras are closely related to rhinos. :dubious:

As for the “killer” part, it’s news to me that this necessarily implies “killer of humans” though I can easily believe some take it that way. Note that Orcinus orca isn’t necessarily an improvement.

While the derivation of “killer” may not have anything to do with the “fact” of killing humans (by the way, a real citation to some reputable reference on this etymology would be helpful; the reference to a pamphlet from the Marine Mammal Center is not), the use of the term “killer whale” both inspires and is at some level inspired by the idea that they can and do kill humans, like sharks, so much so that reference material to the species is at pains to point out the fact that they do not, in fact, kill or attack humans.

[Whack-a-Mole]

@DSYoungEsq

…the use of the term “killer whale” both inspires and is at some level inspired by the idea that they can and do kill humans, like sharks, so much so that reference material to the species is at pains to point out the fact that they do not, in fact, kill or attack humans.

I had always assumed the name “killer whale” referred to them killing other whales.

[wevets]

@DSYoungEsq

Oh, and nothing is “closely” related if the relation is at the level of Order.

Since Orcas are in the Family Delphinidae, I would suggest that the relation is a bit closer than at the Order level.

@DSYoungEsq

by the way, a real citation to some reputable reference on this etymology would be helpful; the reference to a pamphlet from the Marine Mammal Center is not

It was well-meant and written by an expert on marine mammals if not a etymologist. No need to get snarky about it!

[Colibri]

@DSYoungEsq

While lots of people still call them killer whales, my point is that they shouldn’t be called that, for two reasons:

They aren’t whales, and

Of course they are whales. This is not a formal scientific term, and can be used for any large member of the Order Cetacea. The term “whale” is used for members of several different families. Some of them are much smaller than Killer Whales, such as Pilot Whales, White Whales, and Pygmy Sperm Whales.

They don’t kill humans.

What does that have to do with anything? Unlike most whales or dolphins, they are predators on warm-blooded mammals such as other whales and seals. They often kill their prey before eating it, rather than swallowing it whole. To cite the standard mammalogy text Walker’s Mammals of the World (fifth edition), “Orcinus received its common name because it is the world’s largest predator on warm-blooded mammals…”

“Killer Whale” is a perfectly legitimate name for the species in English, and has been used in many standard texts besides *Walker. * Being a standard name, it can’t really be considered a misnomer. But it is not even a misnomer. The species is a whale, and it kills its prey before eating it.

“Orca” is really a kind of PC term that mainly started being promoted once the species began being used in marine shows. Fine to use it, but it hasn’t been the standard name in English or among mammalogists until recently.

On a site devoted to the Straight Dope, I’d think that sort of myth perpetuating name would be anathema.

What was your original statement based on?

These are inapposite. You are working with the adjective; I was working with the noun. You’d be much better off trying to refer to things like koala bears and panda bears, if it wasn’t for the fact that an enlightened public has learned that they aren’t bears, and has stopped calling them that, for the most part.

Pandas, at least, are actually true bears, according to the most recent research.

[motomoon]

@DSYoungEsq

While lots of people still call them killer whales, my point is that they shouldn’t be called that, for two reasons:

They aren’t whales, and

They don’t kill humans.

On a site devoted to the Straight Dope, I’d think that sort of myth perpetuating name would be anathema.

Jellyfish are neither Jelly nor Fish, yet people persist in blind ignorance of the Cnidarian true name!