Aberduvine

/ˌæbərˈduːvɪn/ noun

Definition

A variant spelling of aberdavine; a type of small finch from the siskin family.

Etymology

Another Scottish orthographic variant of 'aberdavine,' possibly influenced by Gaelic pronunciation patterns. The 'u' in this version may reflect a different regional Scots accent from the 17th-18th centuries.

Kelly Says

The fact that a single bird has three accepted spellings ('aberdavine,' 'aberdevine,' 'aberduvine') shows us that before standardized scientific nomenclature, natural history was thoroughly local and phonetic—you spelled it how it sounded in your region.

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