nightingale

From Old English nihtegala, meaning literally 'night-singer,' a compound of night and gale (to sing). Middle English speakers added an intrusive 'n,' turning nightegale into nightingale, the form we use today.

The word has kept close to its original sense throughout — a bird known for singing at night — with the main change being the accidental insertion of a letter rather than any shift in meaning.

The same root shows up across Germanic languages: Dutch nachtegaal, German Nachtigall, Swedish näktergal, and Icelandic næturgali all descend from the same 'night-singer' idea. The word is also carried into modern use through the name Florence Nightingale.