Vernacular name motivations of British birds

McHugh, Michael Joseph (2026) Vernacular name motivations of British birds. MPhil(R) thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

Despite assertions to the contrary in the wider literature, a number of the vernacular names of British birds remain undeciphered or insecurely resolved. Some, like Avocet, are found to be borrowings from other languages, at which point etymologists end their enquiries; others, like Barnacle, have remained seemingly intractable because their word-history is convoluted and confused. Still others have been interpreted over long periods of time by folk-etymology, a powerful, persistent and obscuring force which tries to make sense of opaque or obsolete lexical items. The reputed ‘rolling’ flight of the Roller, the apparent predilection of the Missel Thrush for mistletoe berries, the supposed fondness of the Chaffinch for husks, and the presumed ‘foolishness’ of the Dotterel may be classic cases of this type, where plausible errors have endured, in some cases, for hundreds of years.

In this thesis the dataset consists of 51 vernacular bird names whose origins are described by the OED and other authorities as uncertain, unknown or obscure, or where the current motivations, in my view, are insecurely resolved. I have re-analysed the evidence, including the etymologies of the OED, Lockwood, Desfayes and others, and have taken into account the panoply of synonyms in English and Scots dialects and in related European languages, uncovering their underlying naming motivations to provide context.

In each case I have been able to anchor the motivations more securely in the evidence, or suggest new and more accurate motivations based on a reappraisal of linguistic elements in synthesis with a sound ornithology. An approach which balances both viewpoints is demonstrated here.

I have created a system of categories and more finely-tuned sub-categories which has enabled me to tabulate and graphically illustrate my findings. I draw conclusions from these results, for example that naming motivations are often combinations, reflecting the myriad impression made on the senses by observation of the bird in its habitat.

Finally I have set out some limitations in the thesis, which I hope will serve as a platform and a stepping stone to further research.

• Item Type: Thesis (MPhil(R))
• Qualification Level: Masters
• Subjects: P Language and Literature > P Philology. Linguistics
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Critical Studies > English Language and Linguistics
• Supervisor's Name: Hough, Professor Carole
• Date of Award: 2026
• Depositing User: Theses Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2026-85730
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 02 Feb 2026 10:15
• Last Modified: 02 Feb 2026 15:36
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.85730
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/85730