On the naming of birds, Rochester Bestiary, c.1230

In the world of birds, there is a singular name, ăves, wherein there lies a remarkable diversity of species. These avian creatures vary not only in species but also in their nature and behaviours. Some are as unassuming as doves, whereas others exhibit cunning akin to partridges. Certain birds, like hawks, readily perch on a human's hand, whereas others, like the elusive garramantes, shun such contact. Swallows find joy in human company, whereas turtledoves prefer solitary lives in the desert. Geese contentedly feed on grains they find on the ground, whereas kites are adept hunters hurling themselves at their prey.

In the world of birds, there is a singular name, ăves, wherein there lies a remarkable diversity of species. These avian creatures vary not only in species but also in their nature and behaviours. Some are as unassuming as doves, whereas others exhibit cunning akin to partridges. Certain birds, like hawks, readily perch on a human's hand, whereas others, like the elusive garramantes, shun such contact. Swallows find joy in human company, whereas turtledoves prefer solitary lives in the desert. Geese contentedly feed on grains they find on the ground, whereas kites are adept hunters hurling themselves at their prey.

With countless species, each exhibiting unique behaviours and characteristics, it is impossible to quantify the sheer diversity of birds. Even explorers venturing into distant deserts like Scythia, India, and Ethiopia could not claim familiarity with all avian species or their distinctions.

The very essence of birds is captured in their name—ăves—a term reflecting their propensity for wandering hither and thither, never bound to straight paths. They are called ālĭtes, winged creatures, for their upward flight and the motion of their wings. The act of walking, ambŭlare, stems from vŏlo to fly, highlighting the connection between avian flight and terrestrial locomotion.

Feathers play a pivotal role in the avian world, enabling flight and nurturing young chicks with tender care. The names of birds often echo the sounds of their calls, from the majestic crane to the mysterious owl, demonstrating the deep connection between their vocalizations and their identities.

In summary, the world of birds is a fascinating tapestry of diversity, behaviours, and interconnectedness, where each species contributes to the intricate symphony of nature.

Unum autem nomen avium. sed genus diversum
Nam sicut specie sibi differunt; ita et nature di-
versitate. Nam alie simplices sunt sicut columbe.
Alie astute; ut perdix. erasure Alie ad manum se subiciunt.
ut accipitres. Alie reformidant; ut garramantes. Alie
converstionem hominum delectantur ut hyrundo. Alie
in deserto secretam vitam diligunt; ut turtur. Alie
solo semine reperto; pascuntur. ut anser. Alie carnes
edunt et rapinis intendunt; ut milvus. Alie grega-
tim volante; ut sturni et coturnices. Alie solivage;
id est solitarie propter insidias depredandi ut aquila et
accipiter. Alie voce strepunt ut hyrundo. Alie cantus
edunt dulcissimos ut cignus et merula. Alie verba
et voces hominum imitantur. ut psitacus. et pica. Sed
alia sicut genere; ita et moribus innumerabiles. Nam
et volucrum quot genera sunt; invenire quis non
potest. Neque omnia scithie et indie ac ethiopie deser-
ta quis penetrare potuit. qui earum genus vel diffe-
rentias nosset. Aves dicte; eoquod rectas vias non habent.

Birds have one name, ăves[1], but there is a variety of species. They differ in species as well as in nature. Some are as simple as doves, others as cunning as partridges. Some perch on man’s hand, like hawks. Others shun it as the garramantes[2] birds do. Others delight in the company of humans, like swallows. Some love their solitary life in the desert, like turtledoves. Others feed on grains they find on the ground, like geese. Some eat flesh and hurl themselves at their preys, like kites. Some fly in flocks, like starlings and quails. Others wander alone and are solitary due to their lying in ambush for preys, like eagles and hawks. Some make noise with their call, like swallows. Others sing the sweetest songs, like swans and blackbirds. Some mimic the words and voices of humans, like parrots and magpies. There are countless species of birds: they differ in behaviour and gender; therefore, it is impossible to quantify the number of different species of birds. Even all those who penetrated into the deserts of Scythia, India and Ethiopia were not familiar with all the species or their differences. Birds are called ăves, for they do not fly in a straight line

sed per avia et devia queque discurrunt. Alites; quod alis
ad alta tendunt. et ad sullimia remigio alarum con-
tendunt. Volucres a volando. Nam unde volare; inde
et ambulare dicimus. Vola enim; est. media pars pedis
vel manus. et in avibus; media pars alarum. quarum
motu; penne agitantur. inde volucres pulli dicuntur.
Et homo parvus; pullus. Recentes nati igitur pulli dicunt-
tur. eoquod polluti sunt. Unde et vestis nigra; pulla
est. dicta. Alie sunt in quibus penne per ordinem fixe vo-
landi exhibent usum. Vocate autem ale; quod hiis
aves complexus alant. ac fovent pullos. penna; a
pendendo id est a volando; dicta. Unde et pendere. Volucres
enim pennarum auxilio moventur; quando se aeri;
mandant. Pluma; quasi piluma. Nam sicut pili in
quadrupedum corpore; ita pluma in avibus. Avium;
multa nomina a sono vocis constat esse. composita.
Ut grus. corvus. cignus. bubo. milvus. ulula. cu-
culus. garrulus. graculus et cetera. Varietas enim vo-
cis earum; docuit quid homines eas vocarent.

but wander hither and thither to solitary and remote places, āvĭa et dēvĭa. They are called ālĭtes, winged creatures, for they tend upwards with their wings and fly off by flapping them. Birds are also called vŏlŭcres from vŏlo, to fly. The act of walking, ambŭlare, also comes from vŏlo, for vŏla is the hollow of the foot or hand and in birds, it is the middle part of the wings, by the movement whereof feathers are fluttered. Hence, young birds are called vŏlŭcres. A child is affectionately called a pullus. Therefore, the newborn babies are called pulli, for they are unclean. Even dark clothes are called pulla. Birds have wings, wherein the feathers, fixed in a particular order, cause the experience of flying. The wings of a bird are called ālae, for birds nourish, ălĕre, the chicks with hugs by folding their wings around them. Penna derives from pendēre that means hanging in the air. In fact, birds move with the aid of their feathers when they are in the air. Plūma sounds as if it were pilum-a, for pilus means hair and just as quadrupeds have hair on their bodies, birds have feathers. Plenty of names of birds are known to derive from the sound of their call, for instance from birds such as grūs, the crane; corvus, the raven; cycnus, the swan; būbo, the owl; milvus, the kite; ŭlŭla, the screech-owl; cŭcūlus, the cuckoo; [garrulus] grācŭlus, the jackdaw, and others. The variety of their calls has taught men how to call them.

Further Reading

Mynott, J, Birds in the Ancient World (New York: Oxford University Press 2018)

Josh Goldenberg (BA 2012) and Matt Shanahan (BA 2014), Logeion, November 2022, https://logeion.uchicago.edu/

Castiglioni, L. and Mariotti, S. (1996). Vocabolario della Lingua Latina: Latino-Italiano Italiano-Latino. Terza Edizione. Loescher Torino

Curley, M. J., Physiologus: A Medieval Book of Nature Lore (University of Chicago edition 2009)

Rackham, H., M.A., Pliny Natural History Volume III, Libri VIII-XI (London: William Heinemann Ltd, 1949)

Collins, A. H., M.A., Symbolism of Animals and Birds (New York: McBride, Nast & Company, 1913)

Henderson, C., The Book of Barely Imagined Beings (London: University of Chicago Press, 2013)

White, T. H., The Bestiary: A Book of Beasts (New York: G.P Putnam’s Sons, 1960)

Matthews, J. and Matthews C., The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures: The Ultimate A-Z of fantastic beings from myth and magic (London: HarperElement, 2005)

Barney, S. A., Lewis, W. J., Beach A., Berghof O., The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006)

Footnotes

[1] Plural form of ăvis, bird.

[2] The Garamantes were an ancient population that may have descended from the Berbers and lived in the Fezzan region in 1000 BC. Apparently, the Garamantes gave their own name to a local species of birds. According to Isidore’s Etymologies (12.7.1), written about 200 years later, these birds were afraid of approaching people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garamantes