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prettygoodwordmavis (MAY-vis) - n., (arch. or dial.) the European song thrush (Turdus philomelos).
For a bonus poeticism, also called throstle. The woman's name is from the bird, while the bird's is old -- dating from at least the 14th century as mavys, from Anglo-French mauviz, possibly (and the dictionaries are tentative here) from Old French mauve, seagull, mew. I can see why the tentative.
"The thrush replyes; the mavis descant playes" — Spenser, the line before yesterday's
---L.
For a bonus poeticism, also called throstle. The woman's name is from the bird, while the bird's is old -- dating from at least the 14th century as mavys, from Anglo-French mauviz, possibly (and the dictionaries are tentative here) from Old French mauve, seagull, mew. I can see why the tentative.
"The thrush replyes; the mavis descant playes" — Spenser, the line before yesterday's
---L.
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Date: 2012-06-28 01:57 pm (UTC)---L.