Starling
/ˈstɑːrlɪŋ/noun
A small, often glossy, gregarious songbird of the family Sturnidae.
Did you know?The English word starling is traditionally explained as a diminutive of star, referring to the bird’s speckled, star-like plumage rather than any mystical meaning.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂stḗr
“star”
Old English
OE
stærlinc
“starling; a small bird, likely named for its star-like markings”
Middle English
ME
sterling / starling
“starling, the bird”
Modern English
English
starling
“a common name for the bird”