
Whale and Cachalot, from Superstitions Orientales, by Nicolas Ransonnette, Paris, 1785. At that time, in French, the word Cachalot was used for the male whale; the word Baleine being applicable to all members of the genus, or more rarely specifically to females as opposed to Cachalots. The meanings have evolved over time and now “Cachalot” and “Baleine” are used for (mostly) distinct sets of species.
