Miquel Duran i Ordinyana dies, the oceanographer who studied the names of fish
The researcher, who was 96 years old, directed the Balearic Oceanographic Centre for almost two decades and was recognized for his studies on fish names and marine lexicon
PalmaMiquel Duran i Ordinyana died this Wednesday at the age of 96. Born in Sencelles in 1930, he was an oceanographer specializing in ichthyology, director of the Oceanographic Center of the Balearic Islands, and, over the years, one of the foremost scholars of fish names and marine lexicography. His scientific career was accompanied by a commitment to language, culture, and Mallorcan identity, which also led him to participate in politics during the early years of the Transition.
Son of Llorenç Maria Duran i Coli, a psychologist, teacher, and writer, and grandson of Miquel Duran i Saurina, a cultural activist, journalist, printer, and poet, Duran i Ordinyana grew up in an environment particularly linked to knowledge and culture. He graduated in Natural Sciences from the University of Barcelona in 1952 and was a collaborator of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC).
Subsequently, he worked in laboratories in Blanes, Castellón, and Vigo and participated in several study trips on the fauna of the fishing grounds of the Sahara and Mauritania.
In 1959, he obtained a position at the Oceanographic Laboratory of Palma, then dependent on the Spanish Institute of Oceanography. In 1968, he took over its directorship, which he held until 1987. During these years, he established himself as a reference figure in the study of the marine fauna of the Balearic Islands.
After leaving the directorship of the oceanographic center, he held positions of responsibility in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries of the Balearic Islands and later in the Ministry of Education. His involvement in political life had begun during the early years of the Transition. He was a leader of the Autonomist and Socialist Group of the Islands (GASI), a nationalist formation founded in 1976 by Climent Garau with the aim of defending the self-government of the Balearic Islands.
The names of the fish
But a fundamental part of his legacy arrived after his retirement. Duran i Ordinyana dedicated a good part of his efforts to researching the names of fish, their origin, the evolution of popular names, and the correspondence between traditional nomenclature and scientific names.
The most important result of this work was Noms i descripcions dels peixos de la mar catalana, a work published in two volumes, in 2007 and 2010, in which he combined the rigor of an ichthyologist with an interest in maritime language and culture. He also collaborated in the revision of the ichthonymic lexicon for the second edition of the Diccionari de la llengua catalana of the Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
The work also had a graphic dimension: Duran i Ordinyana illustrated his books with drawings that allow the identification of different species. The philologist Joan Veny, who wrote the prologue for the first volume, highlighted the combination of scientific knowledge and linguistic interest in the work.
His studies were not limited to fish names. He also researched the terminology of coelenterates and other aspects of marine fauna nomenclature. Among his publications are works on the words 'palaia' and 'llenguado', the names of coelenterates, and the meaning of 'peix imperial'.
Josep Maria Llompart Award
In 2011, Obra Cultural Balear awarded him the Josep Maria Llompart prize of the 31 de Desembre awards. The award recognized his scientific career and, especially, his studies on fish and his contribution to the knowledge and preservation of the lexicon related to the sea.
OCB has lamented his death and recalled Duran i Ordinyana as one of its members and as the author of a reference work on ichthyology and ichthyonyms in Catalan.
His figure thus leaves a legacy that goes far beyond oceanography. Duran i Ordinyana studied fish, but also the words with which fishermen have named them for generations. Between science and language, he contributed to preserving a part of the natural and cultural heritage of the Islands.
Wake and funeral
The wake for Miquel Duran i Ordinyana will be held this Thursday, August 27, at the Son Valentí funeral home, from 6 PM to 9 PM. The funeral will be on Friday, August 28, at 8 PM, at the Santíssima Trinitat parish in Palma.