Bobwhite
/ˈbɒb.waɪt/noun
A small North American quail known for its distinctive two-note call, traditionally heard as “bob-white.”
Did you know?The name is an example of folk sound imitation: its second syllable echoes the bird’s call, while “bob” may refer to the bird’s bobbing movement or simply the call’s rhythm.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kʷeytós
“Bright or white; the reconstructed ancestor of the Germanic word for white.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*hwītaz
“White or bright.”
Old English
OE
hwīt
“White; bright in color.”
Middle English
ME
whit
“White; the spelling gradually developed toward modern “white.””
17th Century
English
bob-white
“A North American quail named from its distinctive call, with “bob” possibly evoking its bobbing motion or rhythm.”
Modern English
English
bobwhite
“The established one-word name for the northern bobwhite and related quails.”