# Όστρακο, καβούκι, κέλυφος, κοχύλι και τσόφλι



## Helleno File

All words that translate English "shell", but we use shell for a number of things.  And just for now I'm not thinking about military projectiles or the "shell" (σκελετός) of a building. 

What I _think_ I know so far but I'd like to have corrected if I'm wrong or added to:

- τσόφλι is for αυγά 

- κέλυφος is for γαρίδες, αστακοί etc. 

- όστρακο and καβούκι are much the same and are for all forms of χελώνες. 

- κοχύλια are what you see on the beach. 

I'm not sure which of these to use for στρείδια, μύδια and σαλιγκάρια - όστρακα και καβούκια;; 

Thanks for any help!


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## Αγγελος

You are mostly right. Congratulations!
Όστρακο can also be used for most hard-shelled mollusks, including στρείδια (indeed, the English word 'oyster' ultimately comes from ancient Greek όστρεον, a variant of όστρακον) and μύδια. In archaeology it also means 'potshard' (whence 'ostracism').
For σαλιγκάρια, I would probably say κέλυφος.
Sea-shells, particularly the open kind (bivalves), are also called αχηβάδες.


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## Perseas

Helleno File said:


> - τσόφλι is for αυγά


Also, for (wal)nuts: nutshell=καρυδότσουφλο

... _καρύδ(ι) -ο-_ + _τσόφλ(ι) -ον...
Παράλληλη αναζήτηση_


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## Helleno File

Thanks both of you - fantastic replies! 


Αγγελος said:


> You are mostly right. Congratulations!
> Όστρακο can also be used for most hard-shelled mollusks, including στρείδια (indeed, the English word 'oyster' ultimately comes from ancient Greek όστρεον, a variant of όστρακον) and μύδια. In archaeology it also means 'potshard' (whence 'ostracism').
> For σαλιγκάρια, I would probably say κέλυφος.
> Sea-shells, particularly the open kind (bivalves), are also called αχηβάδες.


I'd *totally* forgotten about όστρακα and ostracism! And had no idea oysters were connected! 


Perseas said:


> Also, for (wal)nuts: nutshell=καρυδότσουφλο
> 
> ... _καρύδ(ι) -ο-_ + _τσόφλ(ι) -ον...
> Παράλληλη αναζήτηση_


And nutshells didn't even occur to me! 

Thanks peeps


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## Παντελής

Helleno File said:


> All words that translate English "shell", but we use shell for a number of things.  And just for now I'm not thinking about military projectiles or the "shell" (σκελετός) of a building.
> 
> What I _think_ I know so far but I'd like to have corrected if I'm wrong or added to:
> 
> - τσόφλι is for αυγά
> 
> - κέλυφος is for γαρίδες, αστακοί etc.
> 
> - όστρακο and καβούκι are much the same and are for all forms of χελώνες.
> 
> - κοχύλια are what you see on the beach.
> 
> I'm not sure which of these to use for στρείδια, μύδια and σαλιγκάρια - όστρακα και καβούκια;;
> 
> Thanks for any help!


Ostrako "στρείδια" Oysters,  καβούκι for χελώνες


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## eno2

Helleno File said:


> "shell",


 You didn't mention καβούκι in your O.P. That's shell, more specifically 'tortoise shell', says WR. (Confirmed in #5)


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## velisarius

_καβούκι_ - for snails too. 

(And metaphorically for shy, introverted people - _έχει κλειστεί στο καβουκι του και δε λεει να βγει εξω._)


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## eno2

Yes. I'd had been looking for the English idiom with  'shell' as in <to crawl in/out of one's shell>, but I don't think it's said that way in English. (I'm not one hundred percent sure though). In Dutch it is an expression.


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## Helleno File

velisarius said:


> _καβούκι_ - for snails too.
> 
> (And metaphorically for shy, introverted people - _έχει κλειστεί στο καβουκι του και δε λεει να βγει εξω._)





eno2 said:


> Yes. I'd had been looking for the English idiom with  'shell' as in <to crawl in/out of one's shell>, but I don't think it's said that way in English. (I'm not one hundred percent sure though). In Dutch it is an expression.


Angelos' post #4 suggests κέλυφος for snails.  Καβούκι as well?

We say "go into/come out of one's shell".  I think that can also be "χώνομαι στο/βγαίνω από [_as Velisarius_] το καβούκι μου" in Greek.

Καβούκι is in my OP and is for all χελώνες, turtles and terrapins as well as tortoises.  I _think_ in order they are: χελώνες θάλασσας, χελώνες νερού and χελώνες της γης, but would be grateful for correction.


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## eno2

Helleno File said:


> We say "go into/come out of one's shell".  I think that can also be "χώνομαι στο/βγαίνω από [_as Velisarius_] το καβούκι μου" in Greek.


Ah. OK.


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