sparrow
UK[ˈspær.əʊ]US[ˈspær.oʊ]
n
a common small brownish-grey bird found in many parts of the world.
Etymology
the word 'sparrow' descends directly from the old english 'spearwa', a term for the small bird. this old english word is related to old norse 'spörr' and old high german 'sparo', all pointing to a common proto-germanic ancestor 'sparwô'. the ultimate origin is likely an ancient proto-indo-european root imitative of the bird's chirping or fluttering movement, making it an ancient onomatopoeic term. over centuries, the pronunciation and spelling evolved from 'spearwa' through middle english 'sparwe' to its modern form, while its meaning has remained consistently specific to the familiar small passerine bird.
Analysis
the word is a simplex form. it is a loanword from old english 'spearwa', which is of germanic origin.
Examples
a lone sparrow was chirping on the garden fence.
sparrow populations have declined in many urban areas.
she scattered some breadcrumbs for the hungry sparrows.