xílgaro

Galician

Xílgaro

Alternative forms

• cílgaro, sílgaro, xírgaro

Etymology

Obscure. Related to Spanish jilguero, which derives from an older silguero; perhaps from sirgo (“silk”),^[1] but the suffix -aro is usually found in pre-Latin words. Compare also Portuguese pintassilgo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈʃilɣɐɾʊ]

Noun

xílgaro m (plural xílgaros)

1. goldfinch, Eurasian goldfinch, European goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)

   Synonyms: barroso, picacardos, pintasilgo, xilgueiro

   • 1853, Juan Manuel Pintos, A Gaita Gallega:

     un sinfín de paxaros ben cantores
     reiseñores o xílgaro e o sirín

     an endless number of singing birds:
     nightingales, the goldfinch and the serin

References

• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “xílgaro”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “xílgaro”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “xílgaro”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

1. Joan Coromines, José A[ntonio] Pascual (1983–1991) “jilguero”, in Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico [Critic Castilian and Hispanic Etymological Dictionary] (in Spanish), Gredos