- warble (v.)
- c.1300, from O.N.Fr. werbler "to sing with trills and quavers," from Frank. *werbilon (cf. O.H.G. wirbil "whirlwind," Ger. Wirbel "whirl, whirlpool, tuning peg, vertebra," M.Du. wervelen "to turn, whirl"); see whirl. The noun meaning "tune, melody" is recorded from c.1300. Warbler applied to Old World songbirds (1773), in North America to birds that look like them but sing little (1783).