Elster
/ˈɛls.tɐ/noun
A German word for a magpie; also the name of several rivers in Germany.
Did you know?In German folklore, the magpie has long been treated as a clever, chatter-filled omen bird, which is one reason its name carries such vivid cultural weight.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*alhistrō / *elistrō
“A magpie or similar noisy bird”
Old High German
OHG
elstera
“A magpie”
Middle High German
MHG
elster
“A magpie”
Modern German
German
Elster
“A magpie; by extension, a river name and proper noun”