Nuechtegailchen

Luxembourgish

eng Nuechtegailchen

Alternative forms

• Nuechtigailchen (alternative standard), Nuechtegällchen (now dialectal)

Etymology

Diminutive in -chen of Middle High German nahtigal(e), from Old High German nahtigala, from Proto-West Germanic *nahtigalā. The unexpected diphthong perhaps through association with the verb geilen (“to mock”), from Middle High German gīlen. The song of the nightingale can sound a bit like laughter.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈnuə̯ɕtəˌɡɑɪ̯lɕən]

Noun

Nuechtegailchen f (plural Nuechtegailercher)

1. nightingale