Ouzels

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of bird belonging to the thrush family, often found near water and known for its distinctive song
2. A name used for the blackbird, particularly in poetic contexts, emphasizing its beauty and song
3. Any of various other birds resembling the thrush, often characterized by melodic calls and a preference for moist habitats

Etymology: "Ouzels" is the plural of "ouzel", a bird of the thrush family that is a close relative of the blackbird. The singular form is the older one, and it reaches English from Old English "ōsle", which in turn comes from a Proto-West Germanic root shared with German "Amsel", the ordinary word for blackbird today. The same bird name thus survives on both sides of the North Sea, with German keeping it in its usual form. The English spelling wandered over the centuries. Middle English had "osel", and the "ou" we see now is a later spelling change, the same kind of shift that gave Early Modern English "bloud" for "blood". The sound never changed much, so the spelling simply drifted to match other words.