Thrush Nightingale
/ˈθrʌʃ ˌnaɪtɪŋˈɡeɪl/noun
A brown European songbird, Luscinia luscinia, closely related to the common nightingale and known for its powerful song.
Did you know?Nightingale comes from Old English words meaning “night singer,” not “night gale”: the second element derives from an ancient verb meaning “to sing.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*trosdos
“Thrush or songbird; the reconstructed root behind the bird-name family”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*þruskōn
“Thrush”
Old English
Old English
þrysce
“Thrush”
Old English
Old English
nihtegale
“Night singer, from niht “night” and galan “to sing””
Middle English
Middle English
thrush; nyghtyngale
“Thrush; night-singing bird”
19th Century
English
thrush nightingale
“A nightingale species distinguished from the common nightingale by its thrush-like appearance and song”
Modern English
English
Thrush Nightingale
“The established common name for Luscinia luscinia”