nightingale
NY-ting-gayl · noun
Origin
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.
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Journey
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.
Related words
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.