A small game bird, specifically a quail, sometimes used as a generic term for small birds.
From Latin coturnix, derived from Greek ortyx meaning quail, though the Latin form shows sound changes. The word's history reflects Roman familiarity with these birds as food and hunting game.
The word coturnix shows how Romans borrowed Greek words but changed them—the 'co-' prefix got added mysteriously, and etymologists still debate why, making this a quirky example of linguistic evolution that doesn't follow neat rules.
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