From: Piotr Gasiorowski Message: 50371 Date: 2007-10-19
On 2007-10-19 21:45, Brian M. Scott wrote:
>> I seem to remember reading that nightingale < OE
>> nightigala (sp?)
>
> Nihtegale.
Both, in fact. It can be feminine (-e, -æ) or masculine (-a), both of
them weak nouns (old nasal stems). The first occurs more frequently, the
latter, arguably, more accurate (it's the male that sings), but then all
the smale fowles that maken melodye tend to have feminine names in OE.