A Thesaurus of Bird Names

Etymology of European Lexis through Paradigms

VOLUME II : The paradigms

1.12 ANCIENT GREEK GREC ANCIEN p. 35-54

Cf. Thompson, 1936, A glossary of Greek birds, for full details

adonèis (e chelidon). Not a bird name; adonis is a sea fish, and so is chelidon.

adryphos.- See arxiphos

aèdon, aèdo.- Nightingale5.18.5..- Adopted as a sc. name in Aedon familiaris (today Erythropygia galactotes, 355 and Troglodytes aedon).

aegoliós, aigolios.- An owl, prob. the Wood Owl, 239 5.10.8.. Adopted as a sc. name for an owl Aegolius funereus.

aeiskops = skops

aellós.- Unidentified; cf. aella "storm". Appears to be a transl. of the daco-romanian. furtunar "storm" and "petrel". (Aelló "harpaye" according Frisk, 1960).

aepólios.- Aepólos "goatherd" suggests wagtail, 313; perhaps the translation of a foreign name.

aepto.-Nestling. Name formed with the privative prefix a + pteron "aile".

aerithakós = eríthakos

aerokorax, aerokordax.- A fabulous bird.

aérops = merops

aesakos, see aísakos

aetós, aietós.- Eagle 6.4.1..- In orn., adopted in numerous coumpound names such as chrysaetos, Spizaetos etc.

aglasos.- A borrowing from a Romance speech, cf. Gascony ayglas Buse, 211.

agly.- Swan. "hypó Skython" according to Hesychius; must be interpreted "Scot" not "Scyth" 3.1.54..

agór.- "Bird of prey", is rather Hebr. agur Crane.

agrakómas.- Unidentified.

agreus.- Hill Mynah (Southern Grackle), 295b.

ágrios alektryon.- "Grouse" (?), see alektriona agrion.

aivetós, aifetós.- Eagle 6.1..

aigialitès.- From aigialós "shore". Adopted as a sc. name for a sandpiper Aegialitis = Charadrius.

aigínthos = aigíthalos

aigipops = aigypiós

aigíthalos, aigíphalos, aigoképhalos, aigíthos, aigíothos, aigínthos.- Forms of aigothèlas (q.v.) Nightjar. Erroneously attributed to the titmouse. Aristotle and Pliny state that aigíthos limps, a clear allusion to the well-known behaviour of the Nightjar when feigning injury at the approach of an intruder. Pliny classifies it with the hawks with which the Nightjar superficially resembles. Aigíthalos has been adopted in orn. as a sc. for the Long-tailed Tit, 398.

aigoképhalos. Mentioned with glaux. A form of aigíphalos = aigíthalos Nightjar which like glaux is a nocturnal bird. Has been adopted in orn. as a name for a godwit Aigocephalus (= Limosa).

aigolios, see aegoliós

aigothèlas.- Nightjar, 251, literally "goat sucker". Adopted in orn. for a genus of Asiatic nocturnal bird. For other forms, see aigíthalos.

aigypiós; aigípops (Maced.), gyps and perhaps argiopous, argípous which appear to be corruptions or wrong readings (but certainly not for argos + pous and still less aigi + pesso "to digest goats"!).Vulture. A name still in use in Modern Greek agioûpa, see 197, alb. Adopted in orn. as a generic name for the Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus, 198.

aísakos. Unidentified. Signifies also "stick"; perhaps an allusion to the long legs of waders. Adopted as a sc. name for a wader Esacus (= Burhinus).

aisálon, aesálon.- A bird of prey. Prob. from aísso "to dash suddenly". Retainedd in orn. As a name for a falcon Falco columbarius aesalon.

aithyia, eutheia.- A water bird, Modern Gr. etha, efia Tufted duck, 48 3.3.1.. Adopted in orn. as a generic name for the diving ducks Aythya.

aix.- Great Crested Grebe, 66, reg. French cabréla, reg. Ital. capriola, the call of which recalls a bleating. Attributed in orn. to a duck (Aix sponsa), perhaps because of the resemblance of the word to aithyia.

akanthís, akalanthís, akalanthós, akalantheia, akkalansír, akanthyllís, akanthalís.- Goldfinch, 415. From akanthe "thistle". Acanthis has been adopted as a name for the Linnet, 422 and acanthilis for a bird-of-paradise Seleucidis acanthilis.

ákmon.- A borrowing from Ancient Eg. ákhom, akhmu = Arabic rakham Egyptian Vulture, 199.

aktitès.- An inhabitant of sea shores. Adopted in orn. as a name for the Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos (= Tringa h., 178).

akylás. - From Romance acula, aquila. See however the next word.

akyléès aètos. Eagle. The Greek seem to have confused akyléès with Lat. aculeus a sting. See Thompson, p. 53 sub antar.

aléktor (cock), alktoris (hen), alektryon, alektrónos, alektriana, alektoriskos (young cock), alektorideus (chicken).- According to G. H. Macurdy Class. Phil. 3: 310-311 "the name Aléktor belongs in a group of apotropic deities, such as Alexanor and Alexandros..." Sheer conjecture. The presence of this name in Caucasian languages (lezg. alek, xalekto etc. 5.12.1.) clearly indicate that the Greek word was borrowed from one of those languages (as well as Pahlevi alka) and also glaux, epops, arezifia. Alektor has been adopted as a name for a neotropical gallinaceous bird Crax alector and Alectoris, for a genus of partridges, No. 17.

alektryon apodos.- A rooster that ceased to sing (privative prefix a(p) + odè song).

alektriona agrion.- Hoopoe, 263, cf. Modern Greek agrios petinos.

alektriónon odè, alektryophonia.- Song of the rooster.

alkyon, alkyonis; aykyón Crête. A seabird. There has been confusion between this species and halkyon (q.v.) the Kingfisher. Alkyon is still used (Greek influx) in Sicily as alcuni gull, 81, in Catalan as alcio "tern", in Provençal as alcyon id., and in Basque as alkoi id.. For semantics, see 5.12.1..

ámallos pérdix. Epithet ("soft") recalling asthenes ("feeble") epithet of boudýtès. Reason unknown.

ampelís, ampelion.- Modern Greek ampelouriós Black-headed Bunting, 440; means "of the vineyards". Ampelis has been used as a sc.name for the Waxwing, 329 (= Bombycilla) and Ampelion for a neotropical species.

amángès, anákès.- An Indian bird similar to the Starling.

anemodromos.- "A fabulous bird" = Kestrel, 234.

angylas (Byz. Gr.).- Cf. aglasos and akyleus.

anópaia.- A borrowing to Hebr. anapha Heron, 118.

antar aetós.- Not a bird (cf. Thompson).

anthos.-A literary name, translation of phloros (= chloris).Cf. Low Lat. anthus s. Florus. Anthos and Hippodameia were killed by their father's horses and changed into birds that imitated the neighing of a horse. Now the Green Woodpecker, 270, is well known from its neighing call (see the Greek, Spanish, English names); cf. hippa hereafter, and see also chloris. There is no reason to believe that it could also be a heron. Adopted in orn. as a generic name for the pipits Anthus, 305-310.

antipsichoi = Mémnones orníthes (fabulous)

apaphós = epops

apous.- Swift, 321, for which the name has been adopted in orn. Apus. An allusion to its tiny legs..

árakos.- An Etruscan or Tuscan name, cf. Etr. harog or arakh "a hawk" and Macedonian arakit "to ravish" 223., French

aramos (hapax).- A heron, prob. the Purple Heron, 119. Thompson compares this name to Ital. airone, and supposes it may be corrupt. However cf. Romanian arama "rufous" 3.2.55.. Adopted in orn. as a name for a neotropical bird Aramus guarauna.

ardeólè (Byz.).- A borrowing from Latin writings ardeola.

ardýphios = arxiphos

arètiádes orníthes.- See stymphalídes órnithes

argiópus, argípous, see aigypiós.

arneutèr.- "Formerly thought to mean a diving bird...: more probably only a professional diver" Thompson (< Lat. urinator). It is also possible that the name means simply "shepherd" (arneios = lamb).

arxiphos, ardýphios.- An eagle from Persia 12.1..

asio.- Owl, see No. 248, Ital. Adopted in orn. as a name for some owls.

askálaphos.- Unidentified; prob. the same as askalopas. Adopted as a name for the Eagle Owl Bubo bubo ascalaphus.

askalopas, askólopas.- Woodcock 193., Ital., for which the name has been adopted, Scolopax.

aspárandos.- Not an Ancient Greek name but a graph (in Ducange) of Mod. Gr. atsárantos Greenfinch, 416.

asthenes.- An epithet of boudýtès. Cf. ámallos. Adopted in orn. as a name for a genus of neotropical bird.

aster, see astragalinos

asterías.- 1. A hawk. Prob. a calque of Romance astor. 2. Erodios asterías, cf. Mod. Gr.. sterióni Bittern (?), 125, q.v.

astragalínos, tragodínas, stragalínos.-Goldfinch, see No. 415, sbc. Has been adopted as a generic name for a North American goldfinch Astragalinus (= Carduelis).

astralós o psarós (Thessaly).- Starling, 293. A borrowing from Romance (Ital. storlo) is more prob. than < astèr "star" which is not descriptive of the bird.

attagás, attagèn, attavygás, tagèn, tagènarion.- Francolin, 15, cf. Mod. Gr. attaginari and 3.3.7..

atzèimoí, atseimoí, atsenoí, asbènoí ornithes.- Perhaps an epithet signifying "from Pontus-Euxinus".

1.13 CLASSICAL LATIN - LATIN CLASSIQUE, p. 54-55

Cf. André, Jacques, 1967. Les noms d'oiseaux en latin. Klinsieck, Paris.

Capponi, Filippo, 1979. Ornithologia latina. Istituto di Filologia Classica e Medievale, Univ. di Genoa.

acanthis, acanthyllis, acalanthis, acalanthus.- < gr.

acceia, aclua.- Woodcock, 193, < Ital.: Corsica acceghia.

accentor (in Isidore).- Undetermined.

accipiter, acceptor, auceptor.- Not a bird but a calque of Gr. okýpteros meaning "fast".

acredula. 5.2.49..

aedon < Gr.

afra avis, africana gallina.- Guinea Fowl

aygithus < Gr.

aegocephalos < Gr.

aegolios < Gr.

aesalon < Gr.

alauda.- < Gallo-romance, H. Marne alauda Sky Lark, 297. Adopted as a generic name for the Sky Lark.

alcedo < Gr. Alkydón, supposed to mean "sad singer" (kingfishers do not sing at all). See Juret, 1942: 236. This name is prob. the same as halkyon. Adopted as a generic name for the Kingfisher.

alcyon < Gr.

amma.- (Sofer, Gl. 17). Owl, < Ar. jamma, see No. 238, Span.

ampelion, apellion < Gr.

anas.- Canard, 40, < Ital.n. Retained as a sc. name for some ducks.

anas germana.- Mallard, 40, a name used in Tuscany.

anataria.- Trad. of Gr. nettóphonos.

anaticula.- Trad. of Gr. nettarion.

anser.- Oie, 27, < Spanish or Basque 5.9.2..- Adopted as a generic name for geese.

anthus < Gr.

apiastra.- < Ital. n.: Como apiaster Bee-eater. Adopted as its sc. name, Merops apiaster.

apus < Gr.

aquila.- Eagle, < Ital. Adopted as a generic name for some eagles.

aquila barbata.- Bearded Vulture, 200, < Ital.

ardea.- A name used in the Piedmont ardèa Héron, 118. Adopted in as a generic name for some herons.

ardiola.- Diminutive of ardea. Adopted in orn. as a name for a small heron Ardeola ralloides.

asterias < Gr.

astur.- From Prov. astour Goshawk, 224. Adopted in orn. in the composites Butastur, Haliastur, etc.

atricapilla.- Transl of Gr. melankóryphos. Adopted as a specific name for a warbler Sylvia atricapilla and a titmouse Parus atricapillus.

attagen < Gr.

auca.- < Prov. auca Goose, 27.

aucceptor = acceptor.

aucelle, aucellus.- < Prov. aucel "bird".

avis.- < Spanish. aves "birds"

avis afra (art.).- Guinea Fowl; see afra avis.

avis carystia.- < Gr. karýstios which may not be a bird.

avis clivia.- Augural; appears to be the transl. of a Gr. name.

avis circanea < Gr. kirkos.

avis Diomedia < Gr.

avis Hercynia.- Perhaps the Waxwing, 329, Germ. böhmerlein.

avis incendaria.- Phoenix.

avis scythica.- Pheasant.

avis tarda.- Erroneous interpretation of Spanish avetarda, 135 q.v. Adopted as a specific name for the Greta Bustard, Otis tarda.

axio.- < Ital.: Campania ascio Long-eared Owl, 248.