this post was submitted on 04 Feb 2024
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Funny: Home of the Haha

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[–] paddirn@lemmy.world 43 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (3 children)

Electricity was discovered around 600 bc, electric eels weren’t discovered til the 1740s (named in 1766). Natives in South America likely interacted with them, but we don’t have any records of what they called them. Most likely though we would’ve named them something to do with lightning if we hadn’t figured out electricity when we found them.

https://a-z-animals.com/blog/discover-what-electric-eels-called-before-electricity/

[–] Donkter@lemmy.world 65 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Unfortunately, your article was pretty lazily written. IDK how they even got away with it. It took me about 5 seconds of googling to find that indigenous people in Venezuela called them "Arimna" or “something that deprives you of motion.”

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/09/electric-eel-three-species-what-a-shock/597709/

[–] MaxHardwood@lemmy.ca 11 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Are you suggesting a blog posted on a-z-animals.com is not a reliable source for facts??

Shocked. I'm absolutely shocked.

[–] Donkter@lemmy.world 4 points 9 months ago

Right lol. This was more of a response pointing out that the other commenter in this thread who got down voted into oblivion was actually raising a good point.

[–] marcos@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago

but we don’t have any records of what they called them

It's quite likely they used to call them by a name similar to the one they call it now. It sounds nothing like "electric eel" though.

[–] quilan@lemmy.world 22 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

The German Zitteraale translates roughly to "{tremble/vibrate/shiver} eel"

[–] abadbronc@lemmy.world 15 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Guy: Dude, that skinny fish just bit me!!

Friend: It didn't even touch you, pussy.

Guy: I swear to God it got me.

Friend: Got you with what, its scary fish magic?

[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 12 points 9 months ago

Acoustic eels

[–] Lizardking27@lemmy.world 6 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Electricity was actually named after the eels.

[–] NoSpotOfGround@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Electricity was named after amber. (Because it has a visible electrostatic effect when rubbed with a cloth.)

[–] Lizardking27@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago

Pretty sure it was the eels.

[–] iamanurd@midwest.social 6 points 9 months ago

Spicy water snakes

[–] Empricorn@feddit.nl 5 points 9 months ago

Spicy noodles.

[–] unomar@midwest.social 5 points 9 months ago

Tingly enemas

[–] Stalinwolf@lemmy.ca 4 points 9 months ago
[–] mfdoom@lemmy.world 4 points 9 months ago

Gyarados obviously

[–] nothingcorporate@lemmy.today 2 points 9 months ago
[–] Annoyed_Crabby@monyet.cc 1 points 9 months ago
[–] nokturne213@sopuli.xyz 1 points 9 months ago

Gymnotus electricus