Gallinule
/ˈɡæl.ɪˌnjuːl/noun
A small aquatic bird of the rail family, especially one resembling a moorhen or coot.
Did you know?Gallinule ultimately comes from Latin *gallina* meaning “hen,” through a diminutive form, so the name literally frames this waterbird as a “little hen.”
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
gallina
“hen”
Late Latin
Latin
gallinula
“little hen”
Old French
OF
gallinule
“a small waterbird; gallinule”
16th Century
English
gallinule
“a gallinule, a small marsh bird”
Modern English
English
gallinule
“any of several small aquatic birds of the rail family”