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cur·lew

(kûrly, kûrl)

Any of several brownish, long-legged shorebirds of the genus Numenius, having a long, slender, downward-curving bill.

[Middle English curleu, from Old French courlieu, curlew, alteration (influenced, because curlews are swift runners, by Old French courlieu, courier, messenger : cour-, stem of courre, to run + lieu, place) of earlier Old French courlier, of onomatopoeic origin (imitative of its call).]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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