fieldfare
(ˈfiːldfɛə(r))
Forms: 1 feldeware, 4–7 feld(e)fare, (4 feldyfare, feldifer, 5–7 fel(e)fare, 6 feldifair, 7 felfar, feldefer, veldefare, 8 feldifire, 9 fell-fare, dial. felverd), 7– fieldfare.
[ME. feldefare (4 syll. in Chaucer):—? OE. *feldefare (miswritten feldewar, only once occurring). Of obscure formation; app. it means ‘field-goer’, f. feld field + far- (see fare v.); but the presence of the middle syllable is not accounted for, and this, with the divergent spelling in the OE. gloss, suggests possibility of corruption from popular etymology.
Not related to OE. feala-, feolufor, of unknown origin, in glosses rendering onocrotalus (pelican), porphyrio (some water-bird), and torax (of unknown meaning). This must have been the name of some large bird.]
A species of Thrush (Turdus pilaris), well known as a regular and common autumnal visitor throughout the British Islands.
| a 1100 Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 287 Scorellus, clodhamer and feldeware. c 1325 Gloss. in Rel. Ant. II. 78 The feldefare, la greue. c 1350 Will. Palerne 183 Fesauns & feldfares. c 1381 Chaucer Parl. Foules 364 The frosty feldefare. c 1450 Holland Howlat 228 The Feldifer in the forest. 1562 Turner Herbal ii. 25 a, At the tyme of yeare the feldefares fede only of Iuniper berries the people Eate the feldefares undrawen. 1634 T. Johnson Parey's Chirurg. xxv. xxii. (1678) 621 It feeds on pepper, as the..Felfars with us do upon Ivy-berries. a 1670 Hacket Abp. Williams i. (1692) 82 Such long wing'd hawks were not to be cast of to fly after field⁓fares. 1694 Acct. Sweden 7 Small Birds..of the bigness of Veldefares. 1785 Cowper Needless Alarm 20 Berries..With which the field-fare, wintry guest, is fed. 1810 Scott Lady of L. iii. v, The fieldfare framed her lowly nest. 1852 M. Arnold Poems, Tristram & Iseult, Hollies..With scarlet berries gemm'd, the fell-fare's food. |
| attrib. 1681 J. Chetham Angler's Vade-m. xxxv. §3 (1689) 227 The Feather of a Felfare quill. |
b. Proverb. (See
farewell int. 2 b.)
| c 1374, c 1400 [see farewell]. 1560 Rolland Crt. Venus iv. 718 Gude nicht now feldifair, Fair on fond fuill. |