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Why Chevalier? (1 Viewer)

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clongwor

Active member
I was amusing myself on a rainy day by changing the setting on my BirdsEye app from English to French.

I wonder if anyone knows why some of the tringa sandpipers are called "chevalier." It's very romantic and gives me an entirely new outlook on the Willet.

Thanks!
 
I don't know, but the Dutch name for most birds in the genus Tringa ("ruiter") has the same meaning (could well be a translation).
Possibly (I've found this as an explanation) their long legs gave the impression of a knight on a horse.
 
"Le Chevalier est le guerrier noble qui combat à cheval. Le terme se rapporte à l'allure générale "haut sur pattes" ou "haut perché" par rapport aux autres oiseaux de la famille. Belon [1555] les décrit comme des "oysillons haut encruchés sur les jambes, quasi comme étant à cheval". Le plumage nuptial du combattant [Philomachus] qui le pare d'une fraise autour du cou a sans doute eu aussi une certaine influence dans l'apparition de ce terme." (P. Cabard & B. Chauvet, 2003, L'Étymologie des Noms d'Oiseaux, nouv. éd., p. 178).
 
James Jobling said:
"Le Chevalier est le guerrier noble qui combat à cheval. Le terme se rapporte à l'allure générale "haut sur pattes" ou "haut perché" par rapport aux autres oiseaux de la famille. Belon [1555] les décrit comme des "oysillons haut encruchés sur les jambes, quasi comme étant à cheval". Le plumage nuptial du combattant [Philomachus] qui le pare d'une fraise autour du cou a sans doute eu aussi une certaine influence dans l'apparition de ce terme." (P. Cabard & B. Chauvet, 2003, L'Étymologie des Noms d'Oiseaux, nouv. éd., p. 178).
Click to expand...
Thank you, James,

The other replier mentioned the similarity to the rider on a horse, while your reply also includes the added idea of the bird looking like a horse too. After I read both replies and looked at images of the birds, especially when they were walking and lifting their legs up, they did kind of look knightly.
 
Xenospiza said:
I don't know, but the Dutch name for most birds in the genus Tringa ("ruiter") has the same meaning (could well be a translation).
Possibly (I've found this as an explanation) their long legs gave the impression of a knight on a horse.
Click to expand...
Thanks,
It's interesting that it's the same in Dutch. I also think the bill looks like a knight's lance. I will pay more attention to these birds in the future.
 
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