lintwhite, n. Chiefly Sc.
(ˈlɪnthwaɪt)
Forms: 1 l{iacu}naethu{iacu}ᵹae, l{iacu}netu{iacu}ᵹe, -tw{iacu}ᵹe, 4 lynkwhytte, 6 lyntquhit, -yte, 7– lintwhite.
[OE. l{iacu}netw{iacu}ᵹe, perh. f. l{iacu}n flax + -tw{iacu}ᵹe (? cogn. w. OHG. zwigôn to pluck, vellere, carpere), found also in þisteltw{iacu}ᵹe thistle finch. Cf. twite n.
The etymology involves a difficulty because the first element appears as l{iacu}ne- (or l{iacu}næ-) instead of l{iacu}n; but the correspondence in sense with the Rom. name of the bird (see linnet) is in favour of its correctness. Apart from etymology there is no evidence that the first vowel in the O.E. word was long.]
= linnet.
| c 725 Corpus Gloss. (Hessels) C 147 Carduelis, linetuiᵹe. a 800 Erfurt Gloss. 309 Carduelis, linaethuiᵹae. c 1000 ælfric Gloss. in Wr.-Wülcker 11/26 Carduelis, linetuiᵹe. ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 2674 With lowde laghttirs one lofte for lykynge of byrdez, Of larkes, of lynkwhyttez, þat lufflyche songene. 1513 Douglas æneis xii. Prol. 240 Goldspynk and lyntquhyte fordynnand the lyft. 1549 Compl. Scot. vi. 39 The lyntquhit sang cuntirpoint quhen the osȝil ȝelpit. c 1690 Roxb. Ballads (1888) VI. 607 The Lint-white loud, and Progne proud..do sing as sweetly as in Yarow. 1785 Burns To William Simpson xii, When lint⁓whites chant among the buds. 1830 Tennyson Poems 76 The lintwhite and the throstlecock Have voices sweet and clear. |