Obs. Forms: 1, 4–5 turtur, (3 gen. turtres), 4–7 turture, 5–6 -our, 6 -or. [In OE. direct from L.; cf. OHG. turtur (Notker), OIcel. turturi. In ME. partly a. OF. turtre, tortre, tourtre, tourte, mod.F. tourtre; = Pr. tortre, It. tortore, -ora, OSp. tortora (Sp. tortola); all representing L. turtur-em, turtur, app. an echoic name, imitating the cooing of the dove.] = TURTLE sb.1
c. 825. Vesp. Psalter, lxxxiii. 4 [lxxxiv. 3]. Speara ʓemoeted him hus & turtur nest hwer ʓesettað briddas his.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Luke ii. 24. Þætte sealdon … tuoe turturas vel tuoʓe birdas culfras.
971. Blickl. Hom., 23. Tweʓen culfran briddas … & tweʓen turturan ʓemæccan.
c. 1220. Bestiary, 694. In boke is ðe turtres lif Writen o rime.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxiv. (Alexis), 231. Þane scho sad,… Þat but mak ay suld scho dwel As turtur.
1382. Wyclif, Luke ii. 24. A peyre of turtris [1388 turturis].
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XII. xxxv. (Bodl. MS.). The Turture is a semple bridde.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., I. 556. With whete & milk in this thi turturs fede.
c. 1450. Holland, Howlat, 127. The Turtour trewest, Ferme, faithfull and fast.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, lxxiv. 37. Swete gentill turtour, quhair is ȝour pete went? Ibid. (1508), Tua Mariit Wemen, 262. And be as turtoris in your talk,… Be dragonis baitht and dowis, ay in double forme.
1649. Jer. Taylor, Gt. Exemp., I. Ad Sect. v. 81. The turtures … being an oblation.
attrib. c. 1425. Cursor M., 11304 (Trin.). And elles who þat myȝte not so Shulde offer turtur doufes two.
