Chiefly Sc. Forms: 1 línaethuíʓae, línetuíʓe, -twíʓe, 4 lynkwhytte, 6 lyntquhit, -yte, 7– lintwhite. [OE. línetwíʓe, perh. f. lín flax + -twíʓe (? cogn. w. OHG. zwigôn to pluck, vellere, carpere), found also in þisteltwíʓe thistle finch. Cf. TWITE sb.
The etymology involves a difficulty because the first element appears as líne- (or línæ-) instead of lín; but the correspondence in sense with the Rom. name of the bird (see LINNET) is in favor of its correctness. Apart from etymology there is no evidence that the first vowel in the O.E. word was long.]
= LINNET.
c. 725. Corpus Gloss. (Hessels), C 147. Carduelis, linetuiʓe.
a. 800. Erfurt Gloss., 309. Carduelis, linaethuiʓae.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gloss., in Wr.-Wülcker, 11/26. Carduelis, linetuiʓe.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 2674. With lowde laghttirs one lofte for lykynge of byrdez, Of larkes, of lynkwhyttez, þat lufflyche songene.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, XII. Prol. 240. Goldspynk and lyntquhyte fordynnand the lyft.
1549. Compl. Scot., vi. 39. The lyntquhit sang cuntirpoint quhen the osȝil ȝelpit.
c. 1690. Roxb. Ballads (1888), VI. 607. The Lint-white loud, and Progne proud … do sing as sweetly as in Yarow.
1785. Burns, To William Simpson, xii. Wks. 1800, III. 251. When lintwhites chant amang the buds.
1830. Tennyson, Poems, 76. The lintwhite and the throstlecock Have voices sweet and clear.
