aberdevine

See also: aber-de-vine

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Attested since the mid 1700s,[1] of obscure origin. Richard Coates suggests that it may derive from Welsh aderyn and draenog[2] with substantial phonological modifications. (The alternative form aber-de-vine shows re-interpretation as a French compound with de.)

Pronunciation
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈæb.ə.dəˌvaɪn/, /ˈæb.ɚ.dəˌvaɪn/

Noun

aberdevine (plural aberdevines)

  1. (obsolete outside dialectal) The Eurasian siskin or spruce siskin, Spinus spinus, a small green and yellow finch related to the goldfinch. [mid-18th century]

References
  1. “aberdevine” in Lesley Brown, editor, The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 5th edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 3.
  2. Richard Coates, A Possible Etymology for Aberdevine "Siskin", Notes & Queries, September 2011, volume 58, issue 3.
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