▪ I. finch
(fɪnʃ)
Forms: 1 finc, 5–6 fynche, 4– finch.
[OE. finc str. masc. = MDu. vinke (Du. vink), OHG. fincho wk. masc. (MHG. vinke, Ger. fink); not recorded in ON. (Sw. fink, Da. finke).
The OTeut. *finki-z, finkjon-, would correspond to a pre-Teut. *ping-, which Fick finds in Gr. πίγγα young bird (Hesych.), and in various Indo-European words denoting colour: OSl. pęgŭ particoloured, Skr. pinga brown, reddish, also young animal, pinjára gold-coloured, pingalá brown, brown animal (cf. Gr. πίγγαλος lizard). Cf. also spink, the chaffinch = Gr. σπίγγος and σπίζα (:—*spingja). Of similar sound and meaning, but not demonstrably connected, are F. pinson, Sp. pinchon, pinzon, Catal. pinsá, It. pincione:—med.Lat. pinciōn-em; also Welsh pinc, Eng. dial. pink, Breton pint, tint, the chaffinch; and Russian penka willow-wren (and cognates in other mod. Slav. langs.) It seems possible that some at least of these words are of echoic origin; the call-note of the male chaffinch is, in England, often represented as ‘spink’ or ‘pink’.]
1. a. A name given to many small birds of the order Passeres, esp. to those of the genus Fringilla or family Fringillidæ. † to pull a finch: to swindle an ignorant or unsuspecting person (cf. to pluck a pigeon).
| a 700 Epinal Gloss. 423 Fringella, finc. c 1050 Ags. Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 286 Fringilla, finc. c 1386 Chaucer Prol. 654 Ful prively a finch eke coude he pull. c 1400 Rom. Rose 658 In many places were nyghtyngales, Alpes, fynches, and wodewales. c 1532 G. Du Wes Introd. Fr. in Palsgr. 912 The fynche, le pinchon. 1590 Shakes. Mids. N. iii. i. 133. 1655 Moufet & Bennet Health's Improv. (1746) 188 Finches for the most part live upon Seeds. 1720 Gay Poems (1745) II. 176 And pecking finches scoop the golden rind. 1847 Lytton Lucretia 31 The linnet and finch sang still from the neighbouring copses. 1878 Browning Poets Croisic 71 Brisk as any finch He twittered. |
b. With defining words, forming popular names of species of Fringillidæ and of other birds of similar appearance, as fallow finch, the wheat-ear; mountain finch, the brambling; purple finch (U.S.), (see quot. 1884); storm finch, the stormy petrel; thistle finch (= F. chardonneret), yellow finch, rare names for the goldfinch. Also bullfinch, chaffinch, goldfinch, greenfinch.
| 1678 Ray Willughby's Ornith. 255 The great pied Mountain-Finch..is of the bigness of a yellow Finch. 1708 Motteux Rabelais iv. lix. (1737) 244 Snytes..Thistle-Finches. 1768 Pennant Zool. II. 434 Like the storm-finch, they are dispersed over the whole Atlantic ocean. a 1826 Longfellow Autumn 23 The purple finch. 1828 Stark Elem. Nat. Hist. I. 245 The Mountain Finch. 1884 Coues N. Amer. Birds (ed. 2) 346 Carpodacus purpureus, Purple Finch (better Crimson Finch). Ibid. 347 C. Cassini..Cassin's Purple Finch. |
c. S. Afr. = weaver1 4. Cf. fink n.1
| 1801 J. Barrow Trav. S. Afr. I. iv. 247 Different species of small birds, chiefly sparrows, finches, and grossbeaks. 1833 S. Kay Trav. Caffraria iii. 85 The long-tailed finches..were here seen flying about. 1944 Cape Times 14 Oct. 6/7 Cape canaries, finches (their woven nests are hanging from the trees this month) and bush doves. 1963 Mackworth-Praed & Grant Birds S. Third Afr. II. 673 Southern Africa is very well supplied with Finches, particularly in the south. |
2. attrib. and Comb., as † finch-bird, finch-tribe. Also † finch-egg, a contemptuous epithet.
| 1552 Huloet, Finche byrde, achantis. 1606 Shakes. Tr. & Cr. v. i. 41 Patr. Out, gall! Ther. Finch Egge! 1802 Bingley Anim. Biog. (1813) II. 168 Of the Finch tribe in general. |
▪ II. finch
obs. form of finish v.