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Buffon's "Le Marail" … (1 Viewer)

Björn Bergenholtz

(former alias "Calalp")
Sweden
Here´s yet another question for our French readers!

Regarding the etymology of the word marail in today's Marail Guan Penelope marail MÜLLER 1776 …

When the German ornithologist Statius Müller coined the name ”Phasianus Marail” for this species, in 1776, he only refer to Buffon 1771. As usual the great Buffon didn´t use any such Nonsense as binary names, linnean ideas or unnecessary Latin (French was good enough!) …

Can anyone of you guys out there, knowing French, please read Buffon's first description (attached) of his "Le Marail" ... and if you find any explanation of why he called it so – please let me know!? If you could pin-point any certain line, or sentence, (worth a quote) that verify or explain this name I would be even happier?

Anyone feel up to it?

PS. Link to a better version (here)
 

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Le Marail is the local name for this bird.

Faisan verdâtre de Cayenne, & qu'on appelle communément Marail dans cette lile

Greenish pheasant of Cayenne, normally called Marail here.

Theo
 
Greenish pheasant of Cayenne, normally called Marail here.

Or "there"? If not, according to whom? Edwards? To my knowledge Buffon himself never (nor Edwards) visited Cayenne or any other part of South America.

Attached is the "Planche enluminée" of the Faisan verdâtre de Cayenne that Buffon was referring to in his text of "Le Marail".

Cheers!
 

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It looks like there is a book named "L'Histoire du Marail" (the Story of the Guan), but I could not find the author: footnote n°2

I don´t think it´s a book, but an article, probably this one (published the same year): Sonnini de Manoncour, C N S. 1775. Observations sur les Marails, ou Faisans de la Guianne. Journal de physique, de chimie, d'histoire naturelle et des arts 5: 345-350. (Attached)

It´s also in French ... leaving me behind!

Sorry for not being of any use.
 

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Continuation of Post No. #7

And the last "Sonnini ..."-page ...

Hopefully they all does tell us anything additional!?
 

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And the last "Sonnini ..."-page ...

Hopefully they all does tell us anything additional!?

Not really in our quest to find a meaning for the word marail, although the last page refers to another species - Amazonian Marail - which the author suspects does not exist.
He does suggest that, as the species is easy to tame, it would make a tasty, succulent and healthy food for the European consumer of that time!!

Richard
 
The link I gave came from this article (Sonnini de Manoncour, C N S. 1775. Observations sur les Marails, ou Faisans de la Guianne. Journal de physique, de chimie, d'histoire naturelle et des arts 5: 345-350).

On p. 346, the footnote n°2 clearly says there is a work named "L'Histoire du Marail". This could be only an article - you might be right on this point - but published earlier.

At that time "marail" was the French name used by most authors for all Penelope guans: see "Complements de Buffon" 2, p. 261.
 
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Bajon, 1777:
Sur le Maraye (1).
Le maraye est un oiseau de l'Amérique méridionale; il se trouve très communément dans tous les bois de la Guiane; son nom lui a été donné par les Indiens ou naturels du pays; les Français l'appellent faisan, de même que le parraqua: en effet, ce sont les oiseaux qui ont le plus de rapport au faisan.

(1) J'ai préféré le nom de maraye à celui de marail, dont presque tous les Naturalistes se servent, par la raison que le premier est le véritable nom que les Indiens ont donné à cet oiseau.
"On the Maraye (1).
The maraye is a bird from southern America; it is found very commonly in all the woods of Guyana; its name was given to it by the Indians or natives of the country; the French call it pheasant, as well as the parraqua: indeed, these are the birds that have the greatest affinities with the pheasant.

(1) I preferred the name of maraye to that of marail, which almost all the Naturalists are using, for the reason that the former is the real name that Indians gave to this bird."
 
Thanks Theo, Richard, Daniel & Laurent!

Right on Target!

I think we´ve (more correctly you!) solved it!

Conclusion:
marail in … Marail Guan Penelope marail MÜLLER 1776
= based on "Le Marail" by Bufffon, is a French interpretation (pronounced similarly) of the local name "Maraye", used on these birds by the Indians in Guyana.

Excelllent! Enough for me.

If no-one think otherwise …

Marail … over and out!
 
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Just for the fun of it!

Also Bertrand Bajon (even if he didn´t like the spelling of it) found the "Marail" quite tasty!

"La chair du maraye eʃt très-bonne à manger …".

For once I understand some little French!

Thanks again!
 

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One "little" question re-opening this thread ...

"Edit - Actually, there is indeed something called "île de Cayenne".

The Île the Cayenne was situated in the delta between the rivers Comte and Cayenne (the town Cayenne still today remain on the same Island), being the first basis of the French Colony Cayenne (the starting point of todays French Guyana).

Is this the core/hart of the Historic Cayenne and the following cayennensis being used for a wast part of Northeast South America (incl. today's [Brittish] Guyana?
 
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And ...

Another remaining thing: acccording to Jobling (2010) the scientific name marail derives from the Carib name Marai (without any ending l) "… for a guan" (attached).

Anyone know the source behind this claim, of this spelling of that "Carib" (not Caribbean!) name?

And; is that any particular, or unspecified, guan? Do we know what Carib tribe called it so? Is it Akawaio, Patamona or Waiwai, or the arawak-speaking Wapisiana?

Anyone know the original source?
 

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There are Kali'na, also known as Karib, in Guyane. So we can still be talking of the same people, here...

I wouldn't worry about the spelling too much, it was invented by Europeans anyway. Also, there are probably language-specific pronunciation issues. In French, "-ail" is pronounced roughly like the English "I" (the "l" is not at all audible, as it is in English "rail" for example); "-ai", OTOH, is a diphthongue, pronounced roughly the same as "-é"--same kind of phonetic evolution as the English "-ay" (as in "day"), but the French "-ai" is shorter. (If you want to get an idea of the pronunciation, Google Translate can "read" French words for you. Click on the small speaker, lower-right corner. Far from perfect, but better than nothing.)
 
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Thanks, Niels and Laurent!

Niels, no I will not go down that path ... and Laurent, I´ve got what I need and will follow your advice; not worry any further!

Le Marail ... (once again) ... over and out!

PS. This time for good (I hope).
 
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