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ArchivesRe: Siskin
in reply to a message by Paul
My dictionary describes the siskin as "a yellowish green finch". Finch, Fink and Spink are all English surnames meaning "finch". With regard to meaning Paul Reaney writes "perhaps 'simpleton'".
As to the origin of the word siskin, my dictionary again, "German dialect sisschen; apparently Slavic". So we're back with the Slavs.
As to the origin of the word siskin, my dictionary again, "German dialect sisschen; apparently Slavic". So we're back with the Slavs.
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Klein's Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language has siskin coming from Dutch sijskijn, a diminutive of sijs which in turn is derived from Czech číž.
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