Forms: 6 whympernell (?), 7, 9 wimbrel, 9 whimbrell, 7– whimbrel. [? f. WHIMP or WHIMPER v., from the bird’s cry. Cf. for the ending dotterel, titterel.] Applied to various small species of curlew, esp. the European Numenius phæopus.
1530–1. Durham Househ. Bk. (Surtees), 46. 3 curleus et 1 whympernell 13d.
1678. Ray, Willughby’s Ornith., 294. The Whimbrel: Arquata minor,… Mr. Johnson of Brignal, in his Papers communicated to us, describes this Bird by the name of a Whimbrel thus. It is less by half than the Curlew, hath a crooked Bill, but shorter by an inch and more.
1688. Phil. Trans., XVII. 997. Curlews something less than our English, tho’ bigger than a Wimbrel.
1768. Pennant, Brit. Zool., II. 514. The Whimbrel entirely leaves England in the Spring.
1863. Baring-Gould, Iceland, vi. 100. Whimbrel and golden plover pipe and wail in all directions.
1897. Spectator, 14 Aug., 210/1. On the fringe of a muddy creek … were some thirty whimbrel … with three or four curlews.
