goldfinch

English

Etymology

From Middle English goldfinch, goldfynch, goldefynch, from Old English goldfinċ, equivalent to gold +‎ finch. Compare West Frisian goudfink (“goldfinch”), Dutch goudvink (“bullfinch”), German Goldfink (“goldfinch”), Danish guldfink (“goldfinch”), Icelandic gullfinka (“goldfinch”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

goldfinch (plural goldfinches)

A goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)

1. Any of several small passerine birds of the finch family
   1. A European goldfinch, Eurasian goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
   2. An American goldfinch (Spinus tristis, syn. Carduelis tristis)
   3. A Lawrence's goldfinch (Spinus lawrencei, syn. Carduelis lawrencei)
   4. A lesser goldfinch (Spinus psaltria, syn. Carduelis psaltria).
2. (UK, slang, obsolete) A sovereign (the coin).

Derived terms

• pale goldfinch
• willow goldfinch

 

Translations

any of several passerine birds

• Armenian: կարմրակատար (hy) (karmrakatar)
• Azerbaijani: payızbülbülü
• Belarusian: шчыго́л m (ščyhól)
• Bulgarian: кадънка f (kadǎnka), щиглец (bg) m (štiglec)
• Catalan: cadernera (ca) f
• Cherokee: ᏩᏓᎬ (wadagv)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 金翅雀 (zh) (jīnchìquè)

• Czech: stehlík (cs) m
• Danish: stillids c, stillits c
• Estonian: ohakalind (et)
• Finnish: tikli (fi) (European), amerikantikli (fi) (American)
• French: chardonneret (fr) m
• Galician: xílgaro (gl) m
• German: Stieglitz (de) m
• Greek: ακανθίς f (akanthís), ακανθυλίς f (akanthylís), καρδερίνα (el) f (karderína), γαρδέλι (el) n (gardéli)

  Ancient: ἀκανθίς f (akanthís)

• Hungarian: tengelic (hu)
• Irish: coinnleoir Muire m
• Italian: cardellino (it)
• Japanese: ゴシキヒワ (ja) (goshikihiwa)
• Kumyk: сарипай (saripay), сарипай жымчыкъ (saripay jımçıq), ала торгъай (ala torğay)
• Latgalian: dadziļs m
• Latin: carduelis f
• Latvian: dadzītis m
• Lithuanian: dagilis (lt) m
• Navajo: tsídiiłtsooí bitʼaʼ łizhinígíí
• Norman: cardrinnette f, mîngnonne dé cardrinnette f
• Ottoman Turkish: سقا قوشی (saka kuşu)
• Pennsylvania German: Dischdelfink f
• Polish: szczygieł (pl) m
• Portuguese: pintassilgo (pt) m
• Romanian: sticlete (ro) m
• Russian: щего́л (ru) m (ščegól)
• Scottish Gaelic: deargan-fraoich m, lasair-choille f
• Slovak: stehlík m
• Spanish: jilguero (es) m, cardelino m
• Swedish: steglits (sv) c
• Tagalog: kardelina
• Turkish: saka (tr)
• Ukrainian: щи́глик m (ščýhlyk), щиго́ль m (ščyhólʹ)
• Venetian: gardełìn m
• Welsh: nico f

References

• (sovereign): John Camden Hotten (1873) The Slang Dictionary

See also

• lettuce-bird
• thistlewarp

Further reading

• goldfinch on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Carduelis on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Spinus (genus) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Carduelis on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
• Spinus on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Carduelis on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons
• Spinus on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons