LL-L 'Etymology' 2006.08.06 (04) [D/E/LS/German]

Sun Aug 6 18:28:17 UTC 2006

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L O W L A N D S - L * 06 August 2006 * Volume 04
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From: 'Roger Thijs, Euro-Support, Inc.' <roger.thijs at euro-support.be>
Subject: LL-L 'Etymology' 2006.08.05 (02) [E]

> From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Etymology
>
I started wondering
> why the idea of "king" is so widespread in naming the wren.

Het WNT geeft het woord al vanaf 1552
-- citaat (van de CDROM):
WINTERKONING, znw. m., mv. -en. Uit winter (I) en koning (I). Mnl.
winterconinc.
1) Ben. voor een zeer klein, bruin zangvogeltje van slechts 10 cm lengte,
dat ook 's winters in onze streken verblijft (Troglodytes troglodytes
troglodytes L.). Eert. mog. (wellicht zelfs oorspr.) en soms nog wel ook ter
aanduiding van het erop gelijkende goudhaantje (Regulus cristatus).
Gewoonlijk in den verkl.
a) In het dagelijksch taalgebr., in algemeene, niet-natuurwetensch.
contexten. || Regulus, een winter coninck, SERVILIUS, Dict. Trigl. HHH 1 rÂº
a [1552]. Winter-konincksken Troglodites passer, regulus hyemalis,
KIL. [1588] [...]
-- einde citaat

Eigenaardig is in het Frans:

winterkoninkje:
troglodyte mignon, troglodyte d'Europe

maar ze hebben ook:
roitelet (huppÃ©):
dat staat voor goudhaantje
(maar soms foutief voor winterkoninkje wordt gebruikt)

mvg,
Roger

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From: 'Global Moose Translations' <globalmoose at t-online.de>
Subject: LL-L 'Etymology' 2006.08.06 (01) [E]

Robert Kelly wrote:
>Wren. The etymological Robert (vol. 3) implies, but doesn't outright say,
that
>the bird is called kinglet (roitelet in French) because of its small size.
It
>was likely the smallest of common birds in northern Europe -- so its name
of
>Little King might be the gentle irony of calling a very tall man Shorty (or
Klein...)

Actually, there is a fable about the origin of the German name, "ZaunkÃ¶nig"
(king of the fence). The birds wanted to find out who was their king, and
decided it would be the one who could fly the highest (much to the chagrin
of the ostrich, who had hoped they would go for size). So they all rose into
the sky as high as they could, but the eagle had the strongest wings, which
carried him higher than anybody else. But just when he had reached his limit
and could rise no more, a tiny bird crept out from under his wing where it
had been hiding in his feathers, and effortlessly flew just a little bit
higher still, shouting, "I am king!". They couldn't deny it had won the
title, but all the other birds, especially the eagle, of course, were really
miffed, so the little king of birds has been forced to hide in fences and
hedges ever since, avoiding the wrath of the eagle...

Gabriele Kahn

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From: 'jonny' <jonny.meibohm at arcor.de>
Subject: LL-L 'Etymology' 2006.08.05 (02) [E]

Hi, Ron,

regarding _wren_ you wrote:

> I started
> wondering
> why the idea of "king" is so widespread in naming the wren. I can
> understand
> commonalities in naming it after its habitat and food sources, also its
> size
> (hence the idea of "little thumb"), but the "king(let)" part mystifies me.
> Does
> any of you have any answer or idea? Furthermore, the origin of the word
> "wren"
> is unclear, and I wonder if there are any theories.

The widespread _little king_ in its name could be a description of its behaviour.
In times of winter this bird is unable to migrate to southern regions like the
greater part of other singbirds do. It's the only one you can hear sing during
the whole winter and its voice is unbelievable loud in relation to its size of
body. Though it seems a little bit exaggerated people in our hemisperes love it,
and in special the Dutch/Francish/Friesian 'winterkoninkje etc.' seem to point
out this.

Regarding the origin of the Saxonian 'wren' I found out, that there was an Old
Germanic stem _wrainjo_ in the meaning of 'to turn', and that could describe its
very special kind to move: it's always in motion with short, quick turns.
Another similar stem is OS: _wrenisk_, meaning G: 'geil', E: 'voluptuous'. This
could be a hint to its steep tail.

BTW: Did you know that there is a 'Hunting-The-Wren-Day' on December, 26th in
various regions of the British Islands?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrenboys

Greutens/Regards

Johannes "Jonny" Meibohm

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From: Heather Rendall <HeatherRendall at compuserve.com>
Subject: LL-L 'Etymology' 2006.08.06 (01) [E]

re origins of the names for 'wren'

re origin of 'wren'

from Kluge Etymologisches WÃ¶rterbuch

AHD heiÃŸt der Vogel wrend(il)o; das weist mit gleich bed. AGS wraenne, ME
wrenne, Eng wren auf eine Grundform *wrandjan-, das mit andrer Ablautstufe
in ANord /Isl rindill erscheint.

Neben diesem germ. Namen tritt AHD kuningilin auf, Zeuge fÃ¼r die Sage von
der KÃ¶nigswahl der VÃ¶gel, auf die Aristoteles Hist anim 9, 11 und Plinius
Nat hist 10, 74 anspielen.

UrsprÃ¼nglich ist das GoldhÃ¤hnchen der KÃ¶nig wegen seiner lebhaft gefÃ¤rbeten
Kopffedern, die gestrÃ¤ubt Kronenform annehmen und die Sage veranlaÃŸt haben.
Diese ist durch rÃ¶m. EinfluÃŸ zu uns gelangt; als LehnÃ¼bersetzung von
regulus dringt AHD kuniclin MHD kÃ¼niclin vor und beherrscht in
Zusammensetzungen die dt Mundarten

NesselkÃ¶nig heiÃŸt der Vogel von Rostock bis Westfalen wegen seines
Schlupfens durch GestrÃ¼pp und Unkraut.

SchneekÃ¶nig von Thuringen bis Schlesien, weil er auch in Schnee und Eis
munter singt (darum dort " sich freuen wie ein SchneekÃ¶nig") und entspr.
WinterkÃ¶nig an der KÃ¼ste, DornkÃ¶nig im alten Sachsen, MÃ¤usekÃ¶nig vom ElsaÃŸ
bis in die Niederlande. Der sieghafte Name ZaunkÃ¶nig hat seit dem 15ten
Jahrhundert vom Mitteldeutschland aus Gebiet gewonnen, auf Kosten der
gleichbed. ZaunschlÃ¼pfer, - schnurz, - rieger.

Just off to locate my Aristotle & Pliny on the shelves..................
(only joking I am expecting Reinhard/Ron to locate same on the web for us
all!)

Heather

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From: 'Stellingwerfs Eigen' <info at stellingwerfs-eigen.nl>
Subject: LL-L 'Etymology'

Ron wrote:
> I started wondering why the idea of "king" is so widespread in naming the
wren.

Well, once upon a time...
Alle dieren op 'e grond hadden een koning, de Leeuw mar de voegels wollen
heur eigen keuning hebben. Ze besleuten om in een wedstried uut te maeken
wie him keuning numen moch. Wie et alderhoogste vliegen kon zollen ze as
keuning anveren. Alle voegels vleugen hiel hoge en de Aorend kwam et
alderhoogste, zo leek et. Mar krek op zien alderhoogste punt kwam d'r een
hiel klein voegeltien uut de veren van de Aorend teveurschien en die vleug
doe nog krek een peer meter hoger as de Aorend. Et kleine voegeltien zol van
doe of dan ok Keuning hieten mar alle aandere voegels lachten him liek uut
en zeden dat zoe'n klein voegeltien toch eins gien keuning hieten moch. Ze
besleuten tot een ni'je wedstried en now gong et d'r omme wie as et
alderleegste vliegen kon, die zol keuning nuumd wodden. Alle voegels
scheerden vlak over de grond mar oons kleine voegeltien vleug een mollerille
in en vleug zo wel meer as een meter onder de grond. Ze konnen d'r now niet
meer omhenne om dit kleine voegeltien tot keuning te benumen. Toch zat et
heur eins niet lekker, zoe'n klein onneuzel ding - iens niet groter as een
doeme - zol heur keuning wezen moeten? In een dadde vergeerdering kwammen ze
bi'j slot van zaeke doe mittenneer een kompremis overien, de grote Aorend
zol bi'j de zoemerdag en et kleine voegeltien zol alliend in 't winterschoft
de Keuning wezen. Zo is dit kleine voegeltien an zien naeme 'Winterkeuning'
kommen, beste Ron.

In et Nederlaans is et trouwens eins gien Winterkoninkje maar Winterkoning.
Ok wodt hi'j wel 'Klein Jantje' nuumd. In et Stellingwarfs kennen we disse
voegel onder verscheidene naemen zoas: doempien, koninkien, otskeuninkien,
tuunkroepertien en winterkeuning, ...keuninkien, ...keunigien, ...konigien,
...keunikien. ...koninkien, ...konikien, ...koningtien.
Mit een vrundelike groet uut Stellingwarf,
Piet Bult

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From: Obiter Dictum <obiterdictum at mail.ru>
Subject: LL-L 'Etymology' 2006.08.06 (01) [E]

Re: Wren--Just in passing by, as my login name suggests:

Ron wrote:

> I started wondering why the idea of "king"
> is so widespread in naming the wren.

> I might mention for the benefit of our Slavicists that the
> Upper Sorbian word for 'wren' is _(maÐµ y) kralik_ [("mawi-) "kralIk] "(little)
> kinglet," ... but note > Serbo-Croatian _cariÐ´ _ ("little tsar").

Ron, can it be that you are discussing birds of a different feather?

Wren, or winter wren, as appears from its description, Latin name of the species
(Troglodytes troglodytes) and picture at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_Wren
is the Russian "ÐºÑ€Ð°Ð¿Ð¸Ð²Ð½Ð¸Ðº" (krapivnik; Timur who translated the wren story into
Russian, got it right). The bird was named so perhaps for its habitat in the
nettle thickets.

Btw, Bulgarians call it "Ð¾Ñ€ÐµÑ
Ñ‡Ðµ" (orekhche, "little nut", I presume):
http://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9E%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%85%D1%87%D0%B5;

Now, as concerns the "little king" or "kinglet"... In Russian, it's rather
Regulus regulus ;) , "ÐºÐ¾Ñ€Ð¾Ð»Ñ‘Ðº" (korolEk or korolyOk), the diminutive of "ÐºÐ¾Ñ€Ð¾Ð»ÑŒ"
(korOl,), king. Sounds akin to the Upper Sorbian "kralik".
Korolek is called so for its orange (in females) or yellow (in males) "crown":
http://www.floranimal.ru/pages/animal/k/2050.html. It comes, I understand, from
the Regulidae family where such "crowns" are common:
http://www.floranimal.ru/families/4372.html

Incidentally, Mike Szelog translated "wren" into Latin as "passer". What's the
Latin for "sparrow" then? :)

Vriendelike Groete,
Vlad Lee

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