sparrow English · revision 1023
11 Oct 2026, 04:58 by bogdan “New entry from the dictionary sources (AHD, Barnhart, Etymonline, MW, OED, RHWU, Wiktionary)” current version
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+ ==Pronunciation==
+ * IPA: /ˈspæɹəʊ/ ''(UK)''; /ˈspæɹoʊ/, /ˈspɛɹoʊ/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Etymology==
+ It is [[inh|enm|sparowe]], [[inh|ang|spearwa]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) from [[gem-pro|*sparwô]],^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) related to [[got|𐍃𐍀𐌰𐍂𐍅𐌰|tr=sparwa]], [[goh|sparo]] and [[non|spǫrr]].^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) 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”.^(Etymonline)^(RHWU)
+
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ The small brownish-grey bird common in Europe (c. 725).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)
+
+ ==Semantic evolution==
+ The word was used as a term of endearment from about 1600^(OED 1989) and later for a chirpy, quick-witted person, especially in ''cockney sparrow'' (1861).^(OED 1989) With qualifying words it names many other small birds (1668).^(OED 1989) The house sparrow was brought to the United States around 1869, where it soon became a pest,^(Etymonline) and in America ''sparrow'' also names many native New World finches.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)
+
+ ==Timeline==
+ * c. 725 – the bird.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)
+ * c. 1600 – a term of endearment.^(OED 1989)
+ * 1668 – with qualifiers, other small birds.^(OED 1989)
+ * 1861 – a chirpy, quick-witted person.^(OED 1989)
+
+ ==Modern meaning==
+ ===Noun===
+ # Any of a genus (''Passer'') of small, chiefly brownish or greyish Old World [[songbird|alt=songbirds]], especially the house sparrow.^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)
+ # Any of numerous similar New World [[finch|alt=finches]], such as the song sparrow.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)
+ # Any of several other small birds, such as the hedge sparrow.^(AHD)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)
+ # A lively, quick-witted person.^(OED 1989)^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Word family==
+ * [[sparrowlike]]
+ * [[sparrow hawk]]
+
+ ==Related words==
+ * [[finch]]
+
+ ==References==
+ {{reflist}}