Etymologically
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sparrow

Etymology and origin of the English word sparrow

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈspæɹəʊ/ (UK); /ˈspæɹoʊ/, /ˈspɛɹoʊ/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English sparowe, inherited from Old English spearwa,[2][3][4][5][6] from Proto-Germanic *sparwô,[3][4] related to Gothic 𐍃𐍀𐌰𐍂𐍅𐌰 (sparwa), Old High German sparo and Old Norse spǫrr.[3][4][5][6] It goes back to a Proto-Indo-European root forming names of small birds in Germanic, Baltic and Greek, as in Old Prussian spurglis “sparrow”.[4][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The small brownish-grey bird common in Europe (c. 725).[7][3]

Semantic evolution

The word was used as a term of endearment from about 1600[7] and later for a chirpy, quick-witted person, especially in cockney sparrow (1861).[7] With qualifying words it names many other small birds (1668).[7] The house sparrow was brought to the United States around 1869, where it soon became a pest,[4] and in America sparrow also names many native New World finches.[2][5][6]

Timeline

  • c. 725 – the bird.[7][3]
  • c. 1600 – a term of endearment.[7]
  • 1668 – with qualifiers, other small birds.[7]
  • 1861 – a chirpy, quick-witted person.[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. Any of a genus (Passer) of small, chiefly brownish or greyish Old World songbirds, especially the house sparrow.
  2. Any of numerous similar New World finches, such as the song sparrow.
  3. Any of several other small birds, such as the hedge sparrow.
  4. A lively, quick-witted person.

Word family

  • sparrowlike
  • sparrow hawk
  • finch

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c d Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Sparrow.” Etymologically, 11 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/sparrow. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·