| 释义 |
† ˈpittel, pitill Obs.
Forms: 1 pyttel, pittel, 5 pitill (cf. 9 dial piddle, pickle).
[OE. pyttel, pittel hawk, in bléri a-pyttel ‘mouse-hawk’; perh. f. root putt- of puttock the kite.]
A bird of prey; app. the Marsh Harrier (Circinus æruginosus); but perh., like puttock, applied also to the Kite, and the Bald Kite or Buzzard.
c1000ælfric Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 132/38 Scoricarius, bleripittel. a1100Ags. Voc. ibid. 287/8 Soricarius, bleria pyttel. c1450Holland Howlat 642 The Pitill and the Pype Gled cryand pewewe. [Cf.1863Barnes Dorset Gloss. 54 Dun-piddle... The kite or moor buzzard. 1873Swainson Weather Folk-Lore ii. 242 It is said in Wiltshire that the marsh harriers or dunpickles..alight in great numbers on the downs before rain.] |