nightingale en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /ˈnaɪtɪŋɡeɪl/
- (US) audio
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English nyghtyngale, nightingale, niȝtingale, alteration (with intrusive n) of nyghtgale, nightegale, from Old English nihtegala, nihtegale (“nightingale; night-raven”, literally “night-singer”), from Proto-West Germanic *nahtigalā (“nightingale”), equivalent to a compound of night + gale. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Noachtegoal (“nightingale”), Dutch nachtegaal (“nightingale”), German Low German Nachtigall (“nightingale”), German Nachtigall (“nightingale”), Danish nattergal (“thrush nightingale”), Swedish näktergal (“nightingale”), Icelandic næturgali (“nightingale”).
Meanings
-
A Eurasian and African songbird, Luscinia megarhynchos, family Muscicapidae, famed for its beautiful singing at night; a common nightingale.
Some admired the external beauties of the objects they beheld, like the nightingale in love with the roſe.
1769, Firishta, translated by Alexander Dow, Tales translated from the Persian of Inatulla of Delhi, volume I, Dublin: P. and W. Wilson et al., page v:The oaks around were the home of a tribe of nightingales.
1826, [Mary Shelley], chapter V, in The Last Man. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC:Wilt thou be gone? It is not yet neere day: / It was the Nightingale, and not the Larke, / That pier'ſt the fearefull hollow of thine eare
c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v], page 68, column 2:The air, too, was heavy with perfume, and a nightingale, high in the heavens, gave out a cheery song of welcome.
1936, F.J. Thwaites, chapter XXII, in The Redemption, Sydney: H. John Edwards, published 1940, page 222:And David's Lips are lock't; but in divine High piping Péhlevi, with "Wine! Wine! Wine! Red Wine!" — the Nightingale cries to the Rose That yellow Cheek of her's to'incarnadine.
1859, Edward Fitzgerald, The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám: The Astronomer-Poet of Persia, page 2:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| nightingales | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Japanese nightingale · nightingale of the East · Indian nightingale · Persian nightingale · Palestine nightingale · Chinese nightingale · nightingale finch · Dutch nightingale · Virginia nightingale · nightingale-thrush · Ceylon nightingale · nightingale-wren · thrush nightingale · mock nightingale · common nightingale · fen nightingale · nightingale floor · Scotch nightingale · Irish nightingale
Synonyms
Translations (157)
de Nachtigall (bird) · sh сла̀вӯј (bird) · uk солове́йко (bird) · lij roscigneu (bird) · ka იადონი (bird) · ru солове́йко (bird) · grk-mar айдъо́н (bird) · mt rożinjol (bird) · ang nihtegale (bird) · tl ruwisenyor (bird) · sv sydnäktergal (bird) · sh slàvūj (bird) · lt lakštingala (bird) · vi dạ oanh (bird) · ota عندلیب (bird) · uk солове́й (bird) · ast ruiseñor (bird) · ast reiseñor (bird) · dsb syłojk (bird) · mhr шӱшпык (bird) · ba һандуғас (bird) · it usignolo (bird) · arz بلبل (bird) · fr rossignol (bird) · gl rousinol (bird) · az bülbül (bird) · mn гургалдай (bird) · el αηδόνι (bird) · pt rouxinol (bird) · ast rosiñor (bird) · ca rossinyol (bird) · es ruiseñor (bird) · hu fülemüle (bird) · tg булбул (bird) · ar عَنْدَلِيب (bird) · gl reiseñor (bird) · sc arrassanajolu (bird) · xmf მაფშალია (bird) · fur rusignűl (bird) · hsb sołobik (bird) · he זָמִיר (bird) · afb بلبل (bird) · mrj шӹжвӹк (bird) · ru солове́й (bird) · cmn 夜鶯 /夜莺 (bird) · pl słowik (bird) · rm luschaina (bird) · my ညတေးသီငှက် (bird) · sh ма̑лӣ сла̀вӯј (bird) · ko 나이팅게일 (bird) · fur usignűl (bird) · kum бюлбюл (bird) · lv lakstīgala (bird) · sva ხა̈ლიდ (bird) · ce цӏир-цӏир (bird) · fa بلبل (bird) · grc ἀηδών (bird) · id bulbul (bird) · fr rossignol philomèle (bird) · kk бұлбұл (bird) · ro privighetoare (bird) · hi बुलबुल (bird) · hi हजारदास्ताँ (bird) · bg сла́вей (bird) · fy geal (bird) · sva მჷლე̄თილ (bird) · tk bilbil (bird) · nb sørnattergal (bird) · sh mȃlī slàvūj (bird) · uz bulbul (bird) · zza bılbıl (diq) (bird) · syc ܥܢܕܐ (bird) · fa شباهنگ (bird) · ltg laksteigola (bird) · alt сандык (bird) · mdf цёфкс (bird) · dsb syłojašk (bird) · vo galit (bird) · sl slavec (bird) · gu બુલબુલ (bird) · fi etelänsatakieli (bird) · cv шӑпчӑк (bird) · xdq булбул (bird) · tyv айлаң куш (bird) · tg андалеб (bird) · rsk славик (bird) · tr bülbül (bird) · mk сла́веј (bird) · sc arrissiuolu (bird) · la lusciniola (bird) · mk биљбиљ (bird) · nl nachtegaal (bird) · tzm ⴰⵙⵓⴷⴷⵔ (bird) · lb Nuechtegailchen (bird) · hy սոխակ (bird) · rsk соловей (bird) · sk slávik (bird) · izh sisava (bird) · fro russignol (bird) · hi अंदलीब (bird) · eo najtingalo (bird) · syc ܐܗܕܘܢ (bird) · bal بلبل (bird) · lez билбил (bird) · kw eos (bird) · rom chiriklo-ratiako (bird) · la luscinia (bird) · ba былбыл (bird) · ky булбул (bird) · pl słowik rdzawy (bird) · cy eos (bird) · ang nihtegala (bird) · is næturgali (bird) · sc passirillanti (bird) · gd beul-binn (bird) · cs slavík (bird) · nn sørnattergal (bird) · ja 小夜鳴き鳥 (bird) · nrf rossîngno (bird) · ar بلبل (bird) · ms bulbul (bird) · lo ນົກໂລຊີໂຍນ (bird) · et lőunaööbik (bird) · hu csalogány (bird) · la luscinius (bird) · eu urretxindor (bird) · ota بلبل (bird) · ml രാപ്പാടി (bird) · crh bülbül (bird) · br eostig (bird) · nds-de Nachtigall (bird) · se lulličuohtegielaš (bird) · da sydlig nattergal (bird) · et ööbik (bird) · yi סאָלאָוויי (bird) · mt rużinjol (bird) · rom chirikli-ratiaki (bird) · be салаве́й (bird) · ka ბულბული (bird) · kmr bilbil (bird) · gd spideag (bird) · th นกไนติงเกล (bird) · udm уӵы (bird) · sq bilbil (bird) · ur بلبل (bird) · tt сандугач (bird) · lld roscignol (bird) · ug بۇلبۇل (bird) · ga filiméala (bird) · io naktigalo (bird) · kpv колипкай (bird) · tt былбыл (bird) · fa هزاردستان (bird) · oc rossinhòl (bird) · el μπιρμπίλι (bird) · dsb syłojik (bird) · fo suðurnáttargali (bird)